Olfaction is primarily mediated by highly specific olfactory receptors (ORs), a subfamily of which are the pheromone receptors that play a key role in sexual communication and can contribute to reproductive isolation. Here we cloned and identified an olfactory receptor, SlituOR3 (Genbank NO. JN835270), from Spodoptera litura, to be the candidate pheromone receptor. It exhibited male-biased expr...

Effect of six constant temperatures viz., 18±1 °C, 21±1 °C, 24±1 °C, 27±1 °C, 30±1 °C and 33±1 °C on growth, development and survival of Spodoptera litura (Fabricius). Development rate of egg, larvae, pupae and adult gradually increased with increase in temperature, while the total development period decreased. The total life span of the insect decreased from 64.19±2.86 days at 18±1 °C to 27.18...

Histone H3-lysine(9) (H3K9) trimethyltransferase gene Su(var) 3-9 was cloned and identified in three Spodoptera insects, Spodopterafrugiperda (S. frugiperda), S. exigua and S. litura. Sequence analysis showed that Spodoptera Su(var) 3-9 is highly conserved evolutionarily. Su(var) 3-9 protein was found to be localized in the nucleus in Sf9 cells, and interact with histone H3, and the heterochrom...

Insect antifeeding substances contained in plant leaves were widely surveyed by monitoring with 'leaf-disc test'. Larvae of tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura F., were mainly the test insects and leaves of sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas Lamark var. edulis Makino, the insect baits. Leaves of Cocculus trilobus DC, Parabenzoin trilobum Nakai (= Lindera triloba Blume), Orixa japonica Thunberg, Clero...

We examined the effects of tannin on a generalist herbivorous insect, the common cutworm (Spodoptera litura). The dosage effect was estimated by measuring the growth performance of the cutworm when the larvae were fed artificial diets containing different amounts of synthesized tannin. We used artificial diets to exclude the effects of non-tannin defense mechanisms in plant foliage. Indices of ...

The use of insect viruses as biological control agents started in the early 1960s in China. To date, more than 32 viruses have been used to control insect pests in agriculture, forestry, pastures, and domestic gardens in China. In 2014, 57 products from 11 viruses were authorized as commercial viral insecticides by the Ministry of Agriculture of China. Approximately 1600 tons of viral insectici...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs widely present in animals and plants and involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene transcripts. In this study we identified and validated 58 miRNAs from an EST dataset of Spodoptera litura based on the computational and experimental analysis of sequence conservation and secondary structure of miRNA by comparing the miRNA sequences in the miRbase. RT-P...

In this study we produced transgenic tobacco plants by overexpressing a serine proteinase inhibitor gene, SaPIN2a, from the American black nightshade Solanum americanum under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. SaPIN2a was properly transcribed and translated as indicated by Northern blot and Western blot analyses. Functional integrity of...