The global resurgence of the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), is driven by widespread insecticide resistance. In sub-Saharan Africa, intensive use of pyrethroids for malaria vector control may exert collateral selection pressure on bed bug populations. This study aimed to assess the phenotypic susceptibility of Nigerian C. lectularius populations to four major classes of public health insecticides and to evaluate community knowledge and practices regarding bed bug infestations. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in five Local Government Areas of Kwara Central District, Nigeria, using a semi-structured questionnaire. Bed bugs collected from infested dwellings were exposed to WHO insecticide-impregnated papers at diagnostic concentrations for malaria vectors: deltamethrin (0.05%), pirimiphos-methyl (0.25%), DDT (4%), and propoxur (0.1%). Knockdown was recorded over 60 min, and mortality after 24 h. Repellency was assessed using a two-choice test for two populations. Survey data revealed low public awareness, with 38.4% of respondents unaware of infestation causes. All five field populations exhibited resistance to all four insecticide classes, with 24-h mortality rates (0-70%) well below the WHO 90% susceptibility threshold. Pirimiphos-methyl was the most toxic insecticide, achieving the highest mortality (50-70%) in four populations. Kaplan-Meier analysis confirmed severely delayed knockdown, with median knockdown times (KDT₅₀) exceeding 60 min for most insecticide-population combinations. Propoxur showed the strongest repellent effect (up to 73.3%). This study provides the first evidence of widespread phenotypic resistance to multiple public health insecticide classes in Nigerian C. lectularius populations. The high-level resistance to pyrethroids and DDT raises concerns about the potential collateral impacts of sustained insecticide pressure from malaria vector control on urban pest populations. These findings underscore the urgent need for integrated pest management and routine resistance monitoring in malaria-endemic regions.
Marine by-products, including fishery discards, seafood-processing residues, aquaculture wastes, crustacean shells, and seaweed-derived side streams, are heterogeneous feedstocks rich in proteins, lipids, minerals, chitinous materials, polysaccharides, and bioactive compounds. This review examines insect-mediated bioconversion as a controlled biorefinery strategy for transforming these unstable marine residues into functional aquafeed ingredients and value-added bioproducts. We compare major marine feedstock classes and industrially relevant insects, with emphasis on substrate-insect matching, moisture control, salinity, lipid and ash load, texture, spoilage risk, and safety. Particular attention is given to how marine substrates can tailor insect meal, insect oil, chitinous fractions, hydrolysates, frass, and functional feed additives. The review further summarizes aquafeed applications of insect-derived products, including fishmeal and fish-oil replacement, protein and amino acid quality, lipid enrichment, gut health, immunity, and disease resistance in aquatic animals. Microbiome-assisted strategies, such as fermentation, enzymatic pretreatment, and gut or substrate microbial management, are discussed as tools to improve substrate stability, digestibility, and product quality. Finally, safety, regulation, scale-up, life cycle assessment, and techno-economic issues are considered. Overall, marine insect biorefineries should be optimized not only for biomass yield, but also for product quality, traceability, and application-specific safety.
Nereistoxin (NTX) and its derivative insecticides cartap and monosultap have been used for decades to control lepidopteran pests by targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Unlike neonicotinoid agonists that induce excitatory neurotoxicity, nereistoxin insecticides act as antagonists, blocking cholinergic neurotransmission. However, the molecular target and mechanism of action of these compounds remain incompletely understood. Here, we elucidated the mode of action of cartap and monosultap in Drosophila melanogaster through integrated genetic and computational approaches. Bioassays with Drosophila nAChR subunit mutants demonstrated that the α6 subunit is critically required for insecticidal activity of both compounds, with α6 knockout conferring approximately 10-fold resistance to monosultap and 7-fold resistance to cartap. Molecular docking of protonated NTX into an α6 homopentameric channel model revealed a "dual-anchor" blocking mechanism: the protonated amine forms electrostatic interactions with residue Glu267, while the dithiolane ring creates steric hindrance at residue Thr270. Pore diameter measurements showed an optimal binding cavity of 5.96-6.22 Å in the 267-270 region, narrowing dramatically to 1.64 Å at the deep gate (Ser278), explaining how NTX binding physically occludes the channel. Collectively, these results identify α6-containing nAChRs as the primary target of nereistoxin insecticides and provide a structural framework for understanding channel blockade, with important implications for resistance monitoring and the development of next-generation channel-blocking insecticides.
Edible insects are a promising source for sustainable protein transformation due to their low environmental impact, high nutrient density, and suitability for circular food systems; however, despite their high technical potential, culinary and societal acceptance remains low. While the literature has largely focused on consumer acceptance, culinary professionals' intention to incorporate edible insects into recipes has been understudied. This study examines the direct and indirect associations of perceived future food insecurity with the intention to incorporate edible insects into recipes, mediated by food neophobia and food interest. Protection Motivation Theory was used as a guiding theoretical lens to conceptualize perceived future food insecurity as a threat-related contextual perception, rather than as a full test of the theory. Data were collected from 400 culinary students across seven regions of Turkey; confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were applied. The direct effect of perceived future food insecurity on recipe incorporation intention was not significant (β = -0.015). However, perceived future food insecurity was negatively associated with food neophobia (β = -0.212) and positively associated with food interest (β = 0.138); food neophobia was negatively associated with recipe incorporation intention (β = -0.225), whereas food interest was positively associated with it (β = 0.715). Both indirect effects were statistically significant, indicating indirect-only mediation. The findings provide context-specific evidence extending the edible-insect literature from personal consumption intention toward professional recipe incorporation intention.
The intensification of extreme thermal events increases the risk of pest outbreaks and disruptions in agroecosystems, making it crucial to understand how heat waves affect pest performance. This study examined the impact of thermal stress on two dominant aphid genotypes of Sitobion avenae, focusing on their symbionts Regiella insecticola and Hamiltonella defensa. R. insecticola is associated with neutrality in performance, while H. defensa shows no thermal tolerance. We evaluated symbiont-infected and cured lineages during a heat wave, measuring life-history traits. Key findings include: the H. defensa strain incurred increased costs under heat, reducing survival, fecundity, and growth; the effects of R. insecticola strain were predominantly neutral and specific to clones; and Buchnera aphidicola titers correlated with host performance, with H. defensa lineages having higher titers regardless of heat exposure. This suggests that the R. insecticola strain present in Chilean genotypes does not contribute to the resilience of certain clones to thermal stress in Chile, whereas the H. defensa strain imposes performance costs during heat waves. The results of this research pertain to specific strains of endosymbionts, rather than to all endosymbionts within these taxa. These findings emphasize the need to consider symbiotic relationships and thermal physiology in aphid pest management strategies.
Insect natural enemies are central agents in biological-control programs. Their pest-suppression performance depends not only on release strategy, but also on traits shaped by long-term laboratory rearing and selection. Conventional mass-rearing systems usually evaluate insect natural enemies using production-oriented indicators, such as survival, fecundity, emergence rate, sex ratio and production cost. However, continuous mass rearing can drive laboratory adaptation, genetic drift, inbreeding, shifts in host or prey use, and reduced field performance. In this review, we summarize key target traits for insect natural enemy improvement, including production efficiency, host or prey use, parasitism, predation, nonreproductive host killing, stress tolerance, pesticide compatibility, dispersal, retention and field efficacy. We further discuss how recurrent artificial selection, hybridization, population genetics, and genomics approaches can be integrated to improve insect natural enemies while maintaining genetic quality. Finally, we discuss the links among trait screening, selection design, quality control, storage and transport, and field-performance validation in the development and application of selected lines or improved strains. Overall, this review highlights practical directions for developing stable and field-proven natural enemy lines. Beyond agriculture, this perspective may also support ecological design in urban landscapes through natural enemy conservation and reduced pesticide use.
Pollen limitation compromises honey bee health and pollination services, and existing pollen substitutes are typically formulated around crude protein content while lacking the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids naturally present in pollen and bee-collected re-sources. To address both protein and fatty acid gaps in current substitutes, this study evaluated marine-protein and insect-larvae-based diets. We assessed how formulations using Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) and insect larvae affect the nutrition, physiology, longevity, and gut microbiota of Apis mellifera L. Newly emerged bees were fed for 35 days on: sugar syrup (negative control), sugar syrup and natural pollen (positive control), or four experimental diets: seabass-based (SB), or SB supplemented with meal-worm (SBM), or wax moth (SBW), or black soldier fly (SBB). Experimental diets (12.48-15.59% crude protein, vs. 17.24% in natural pollen) while SB supplied eicosapentaenoic acid (39.3-53.3 mg/100 g) and docosahexaenoic acid (37.2-52.3 mg/100 g), and SBB was additionally rich in lauric acid (604.3 mg/100 g). SBB- and SBM-fed bees exhibited the greatest hypopharyngeal gland development (0.123 mm and 0.115 mm, respectively, vs. 0.060 mm in sugar-only controls), with no significant difference from SB alone. All SB-based diets supported significantly greater survival than the sugar-only control (log-rank p < 0.0001) and did not differ significantly from the natural pollen treatment with SBB showing the highest and most consistent day-35 survival (81.1%). All sea-bass-based diets significantly altered the gut microbial community structure, promoting short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-associated bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Blautia wexlerae. This enrichment may reflect not only the omega-3 and lauric acid content of the diets but also the presence of substrates that can be utilized by gut microbes, which may exert prebiotic-like effects by favoring SCFA-producing bacteria. These results demonstrate that marine and insect-derived nutrients can supply protein while also providing beneficial lipids and microbially utilizable substrates that promote the enrichment of beneficial SCFA-associated bacteria not typically dominant in the honey bee gut. These enriched diets, particularly SBB, are promising candidates war-ranting further evaluation at the colony and field levels.
Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels mediate insect thermosensation, yet the downstream neurotransmitter pathways linking TRP activation to behavioral output remain unclear. We investigated the role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in thermoregulatory and neural responses induced by TRP ligands in the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana. Extracellular recordings from the ventral nerve cord showed that capsaicin reduced spontaneous neuronal firing, whereas the selective α7-containing nAChR antagonist MG 624 increased baseline activity. Notably, nicotinic receptor blockade prevented the capsaicin-induced suppression of neuronal activity, suggesting an interaction between cholinergic signaling and capsaicin-induced neuronal modulation. Behaviorally, capsaicin shifted thermal preference toward cooler temperatures, consistent with TRP-mediated heat avoidance. This response, as well as the effect of the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine, was markedly attenuated by MG 624 pretreatment. Grooming assays revealed differential modulation of antennal and leg grooming, suggesting distinct neural mechanisms and partial interaction between cholinergic and monoaminergic pathways. Despite pronounced neural and behavioral effects, neither TRP ligands nor nicotinic receptor blockade significantly altered whole-animal metabolic rate, as assessed by CO₂ production. Together, these findings indicate that cholinergic signaling contributes to behavioral responses induced by TRP ligands and interacts with capsaicin-induced neuronal modulation in P. americana. The results provide new insight into the neurochemical integration of thermosensory signaling and highlight cholinergic pathways as important contributors to insect thermoregulatory responses.
Vector control is critical for reducing mosquito-borne diseases. Plant-derived insecticides offer a safer and environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic chemicals. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition and insecticidal efficacy of essential oil (EO) from Artemisia herba-alba against Culex pipiens. EO composition was determined using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Larvicidal, adulticidal, repellent, and oviposition deterrent activities were assessed through bioassays. Molecular docking analyses were conducted to investigate interactions between major EO components and mosquito enzymes involved in critical physiological processes. GC/MS revealed camphor (19.47%), 2-nonanone (16.96%), exo-fenchol (9.30%), and cis-thujone (8.18%) as the primary constituents. Larvicidal activity exhibited a dose- and time-dependent effect, with an LC₅₀ of 47.12 ppm at 72 h. Adulticidal activity was moderate. Repellency reached 92.92% at 6 µL/cm², and EO significantly reduced oviposition, with an Oviposition Activity Index of -0.85 at 7%. Docking studies indicated strong binding of cis-thujone and pinocarvone to glutathione S-transferase, chitinase h, and acetylcholinesterase. The EO of A. herba-alba demonstrated potent larvicidal, repellent, and oviposition deterrent effects, with active compounds potentially disrupting essential mosquito physiological functions. These findings support its potential application as a natural agent in integrated vector management programs.
Regional soil conditions may affect edible insect nutrients through associated changes in host plants and bacterial communities, but these relationships remain poorly understood. Here, we compared soils, soybean leaves, larval gut bacteria, and nutritional composition of Clanis bilineata tsingtauica across three sites. Soil nutrient parameters were measured before and after larval inoculation, bacterial communities were analyzed in soil, leaves, and larvae, and larval amino acid, protein, and fatty acid profiles were determined. Available potassium increased 1.17-fold in Lianyungang; several nutrients decreased in Huaian, whereas soil pH decreased by 4.0% in Nanjing. Larvae from Lianyungang contained higher levels of several amino acids (Serine, Glycine, etc.), whereas those from Huaian had higher saturated and unsaturated fatty acid contents (Stearic acid, Elaidic acid, etc.). Genus-level overlap analysis showed partial taxonomic overlap among soil, leaves, and larvae, and the number of shared genera generally declined from soil to leaves to larvae, consistent with compartment-specific filtering. Correlation analyses further indicated that soil nutrients, especially available phosphorus and available potassium, were significantly correlated with dominant bacterial genera and with specific larval amino acid and fatty acid traits. Overall, these findings suggest that regional soil background is associated with coordinated variation in soybean-associated bacteria, larval gut bacteria, and the nutritional composition of C. bilineata tsingtauica larvae.
Davis critiqued a recent review, "Eastern North American Monarch Butterfly Conservation Needs and Opportunities: What the Science Tells Us". He argued that Eastern North American monarch numbers in the summer have not declined, despite dramatic declines in the area covered by this population in Mexico during the winter. These declines in winter numbers, he said, can be explained by increasing mortality during the fall migration and subsequent density-dependent increases the following spring. A strong impetus for these arguments appears to be Davis's concern that recommendations by "certain circles" of the monarch research community could steer conservation funding toward a species that does not need our help. Here, we address these concerns, and note that there is no evidence that conservation funding focused on providing breeding habitat for monarchs detracts from conservation for other species in need of help, or from efforts to support migrating monarchs.
Conservation actions should always be based on sound scientific research around the species in question, but more importantly, on the proper interpretation of said research findings [...].
Siphlonuroidea is a superfamily within Ephemeroptera, yet the phylogenetic relationships among its constituent families and their placement relative to other mayfly lineages remain unresolved. To address these questions, we generated and analyzed 16 newly assembled mitochondrial genomes from 14 species across Ephemeroptera, including three species of Ameletidae, four of Siphlonuridae, and nine mitochondrial genomes from seven species of Isonychiidae. Comparative mitogenomic analysis revealed two distinct tRNA gene rearrangement patterns within Siphlonuridae, including trnI-trnQ-trnM-trnQ-trnM-trnQ-trnM-trnQ-trnM and trnI-trnM-trnQ-trnM. In contrast, all Ameletidae mitogenomes share an identical rearrangement of trnI-trnQ-trnM-trnM, which constitutes a potential synapomorphy supporting the monophyly of this family. Compositional analysis further showed that Siphlonuridae and Ameletidae exhibit significantly higher and highly similar A+T contents, clustering together in hierarchical analyses. This characteristic contrasts sharply with Isonychiidae, which displays markedly lower A+T content. Phylogenomic inference based on the PCG12 dataset supports a sister-group relationship between Siphlonuridae and Ameletidae, with this clade itself forming the sister group to a well-supported clade of Isonychiidae and Heptageniidae. Divergence time estimation places the origin of the Ameletidae and Siphlonuridae lineage in the Late Jurassic (174.71 Mya), while Isonychiidae diverged in the Early Cretaceous (136.81 Mya). In conclusion, Siphlonuridae and Ameletidae show a closer affinity and belong to Siphlonuroidea. Isonychiidae shares a closer relationship with Heptageniidae and remains outside Siphlonuroidea. Siphluriscidae is recovered as the sister lineage to all other extant Ephemeroptera, confirming its status as the earliest-diverging extant mayfly lineage.
Systematic field data on adjuvant-amended microbial-derived pesticides against L. pratensis in arid, high-ultraviolet cotton regions remain scarce. This study systematically evaluated the laboratory toxicity and field efficacy of four kinds of microbial-derived pesticides (abamectin, emamectin benzoate, B. bassiana, and M. anisopliae) and their combinations with adjuvants against L. pratensis in Xinjiang cotton fields. As a comprehensive regional study, this work elucidates the differential enhancement patterns of d-limonene and mineral oil on antibiotic insecticides and entomopathogenic fungi, providing targeted field data for pesticide reduction strategies. The laboratory toxicity of seven microbial-derived pesticides was determined using the leaf-tube residual film method. Four effective agents were selected and combined with d-limonene or mineral oil for field efficacy trials. Abamectin and emamectin benzoate exhibited rapid and high insecticidal activity, with 48 h LC50 values of 1.198 mg/L and 3.424 mg/L, respectively. The two entomopathogenic fungi exhibited slower insecticidal activity than the chemical insecticides but maintained relatively stable control effects throughout the observation period. In field trials, when abamectin or emamectin benzoate was applied at a 30% reduced rate in combination with mineral oil or d-limonene, the control efficacy was equivalent to or higher than that of the full-rate application of the pesticide alone. The treatment of abamectin (4.20 g a.i./hm2) plus mineral oil achieved the highest control efficacy (89.24%) at 3 days post-treatment. For B. bassiana and M. anisopliae, reduced-rate adjuvant-amended treatments showed numerically higher initial and residual efficacy than the full-rate single-agent fungal treatments. The treatment of M. anisopliae (7.35 × 1012 spores/hm2) plus d-limonene reached 70.50% efficacy at 7 days post-treatment, which was significantly higher than that of the full-rate fungal treatment alone. No phytotoxicity symptoms were observed on cotton plants. Under the tested conditions, the rational combination of microbial-derived pesticides with appropriate adjuvants demonstrates the potential for a 30% reduction in pesticide dosage while maintaining or improving field efficacy, providing region-specific reference for the sustainable management of L. pratensis in Xinjiang cotton fields.
Water and electrolyte regulation is essential for organismal survival. In mammals, the nephron operates a futile cycle of ultrafiltration and reabsorption that accounts for most of the entropy generation of the kidney. In contrast, insect Malpighian tubules form urine primarily through electrolyte secretion. Here, we develop a thermodynamic model of Malpighian tubule function in which entropy generation is estimated from electrical dissipation, with cationic urinary flow treated as current and transepithelial voltage as the potential difference. The model is applied to fluid secretion in the Malpighian tubules of the yellow fever mosquito, the stick insect, and the fruit fly, and to fluid reabsorption in the rectum of the desert locust and the fruit fly. The criterion of efficacy is the ratio between entropy generation and water flow, representing the energy dissipated per unit urinary volume. The results are compared with estimates for humans, mice, and dairy cattle, spanning eight orders of magnitude in body mass. The excretory systems of insects are shown to be more economical than those of mammals. Nevertheless, the differences are remarkably small across all species examined, despite the enormous variation in body size. These results confirm the hypothesis, proposed in the 1980s, that Malpighian tubules operate with greater efficacy than mammalian nephrons and further suggest that fundamental thermodynamic constraints shape the efficiency of epithelial transport systems across widely divergent organisms.
Understanding the physiological regulation of cardiac activity in insects remains a central topic in insect biochemistry and physiology. In Lepidoptera, direct electrophysiological characterization of cardiac function is still limited, particularly under anesthetic conditions commonly used during experimental manipulation. In this study, we evaluated the effects of isoflurane anesthesia on cardiac electrophysiology in adult Anteos menippe butterflies during anesthetic induction and recovery. A total of eighteen newly emerged adults were subjected to two experiments. Experiment 1 - behavior during anesthetic induction and recovery with isoflurane (n = 6). Experiment 2 - the animals were divided into a control group (n = 6) and a group treated with isoflurane (n = 6). The animals were monitored during anesthetic induction and recovery with isoflurane; in this case, electrocardiographic signals (ECG) were obtained using 0.06 mm diameter tungsten steel alloy electrodes, implanted to acquire cardiac recordings lasting 30 min under controlled conditions. Isoflurane induced mild and reversible anesthesia, with induction and recovery times of 48.5 ± 8.9 s and 117.7 ± 16.2 s, respectively, without observable excitatory responses. During anesthesia, the frequency of cardiac action potentials decreased significantly, followed by a gradual recovery accompanied by increases in amplitude and linear signal power. Spectral analysis revealed a dynamic redistribution of energy during anesthetic elimination, consistent with chronotropic modulation of cardiac activity. These findings provide new electrophysiological insights into the cardiac physiology of butterflies and support the use of isoflurane as a reliable anesthetic for experimental studies involving cardiac monitoring in lepidoptera and other insects.
Digger wasps are solitary apoid wasps that excavate ground nests and use venom to paralyze insect prey. Recent phylogenetic analyses suggest that digger wasps belong to an ancient lineage of aculeate Hymenoptera and share an evolutionary ancestry with other venomous hymenopterans, including bees and ants. Although the venoms of ants, bees, and social wasps have been extensively studied, those of digger wasps remain poorly characterized in terms of their composition, molecular diversity, and biological activity. In this study, we investigated the venom of the digger wasp Cerceris japonica using integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. We identified 19 toxin-like proteins and peptides, 14 non-toxin-associated components, and 11 novel peptides and proteins with no detectable similarity to known peptides and proteins. Among these, peptide Cj 2 exhibited insecticidal activity but showed no antimicrobial, hemolytic, or nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-modulating activities. These findings provide new insights into the molecular diversity and biological activities of digger wasp venom, expand our understanding of venom evolution in venomous hymenopterans, and serve as a framework for elucidating the conserved and lineage-specific features of hymenopteran venoms.
Polyneoptera comprises hemimetabolous insect orders of significant agricultural, ecological, and medical relevance, motivating phylogenetic and molecular research that has nevertheless focused predominantly on canonical mitochondrial markers. Here, we assembled new mitogenomes for Polyneoptera and evaluated the usefulness of genes located in nucleotide-diversity hotspots as markers for species identification and phylogenetic inference. To expand the available mitogenomic resources, raw sequencing data were retrieved from public databases, resulting in the assembly and annotation of 26 complete mitogenomes, all exhibiting the typical insect mitochondrial architecture. These newly assembled genomes were combined with publicly available mitogenomes from Orthoptera, Blattodea, Plecoptera, Mantodea, and Phasmatodea to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships using both complete and reduced datasets comprising nucleotide-diversity hotspot-associated genes. The performance of these hotspot regions was further assessed through barcoding gap analyses and comparisons with the most comprehensive datasets to identify candidate mitochondrial markers for molecular species identification and phylogenetic inference. Across orders, different mitochondrial regions, including the classical markers 16S and COX1, as well as genes from the NADH dehydrogenase complex, emerged as the most informative, although optimal markers varied among lineages. Overall, our findings highlight the value of publicly accessible sequencing data for generating high-quality genomic resources and improving phylogenetic and taxonomic tools.
Tuta absoluta is a globally significant invasive pest that has rapidly developed resistance to multiple classes of insecticides, highlighting the critical need for RNA interference (RNAi) targets for sustainable pest management. The insulin signaling pathway is a key regulator of insect reproduction; however, the role of PIK3AP, an adaptor protein that links receptor tyrosine kinases to the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, remains poorly understood in Lepidopteran pests. In this study, TaPIK3AP was identified in T. absoluta, exhibiting elevated expression levels in the heads of female adults and during the early reproductive period. RNAi-mediated knockdown of TaPIK3AP reduced fecundity by 76%, decreased egg hatching rate by 43%, shortened the oviposition period by two days, and caused pronounced ovarian atrophy accompanied by impaired yolk deposition. Mechanistically, knockdown of TaPIK3AP led to the suppression of Vg and VgR expression, a reduction in juvenile hormone (JH) titer, downregulation of JH signaling genes, and a significant decrease in the transcript levels of key components of the target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway, including mTOR, Rheb, and S6K. These findings demonstrate that TaPIK3AP integrates Vg, JH, and TOR signaling pathways to regulate female reproduction in T. absoluta, thereby identifying it as a potential molecular target for RNAi-based sustainable pest management strategies.
Canadian amber, dated to the late Campanian (79-78 Ma), is the youngest known Late Cretaceous amber deposit containing insect inclusions. Aphids represent one of the most abundant insect groups preserved in this amber. In this study, we describe an apterous morph of Alloambria infelicis Kania & Wegierek, 2005 and three new species from Canadian amber: Matronaphis breviantennata, Curraphis velox, and Latialiaphis oblita. Only the latter species is described based on an alate morph. We also analysed the holotypes of the following species: Ambaraphis kotejai Kania & Wegierek, 2005, Ambaraphis costalis Richards, 1966, Alloambria infelicis, Alloambria caudata Richards, 1966 and Pseudambria longirostris Richards, 1966. Apterous morphs reported from Late Cretaceous deposits share several morphological features with extant aphids, including appendage structures (antennae with distinct processus terminalis and cauda) and other characteristics such as single secondary rhinaria and abdominal wax glands. Our results expand the known morphological diversity of aphids in Canadian amber.