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Publications (110)
Hermetia illucens is a promising insect due to its ability to convert low-value substrates as food chain by-products into highly nutritious feed. Its feeding and nutrition are important issues. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of different substrates consisting of coffee silverskin, a by-product of the roasting process, enriched w...
The present research reports the results of a long-term study (70 days) of the dynamics of Staphylococcus aureus artificially inoculated in a Tenebrio molitor rearing chain for human consumption. To this end, a rearing substrate consisting of organic wheat middlings was spiked with S. aureus to obtain three initial contamination levels, namely 1 (l...
Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) represents a high-value fish farmed for obtaining high-priced food. In this study, the occurrence of antibiotic resistance (AR) genes encoding for resistance to antimicrobial administered in clinical practice, as aminoglycosides, β-lactams, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B, tetracyclines, and vancomycin, we...
The edible insect food chain represents a relatively novel food-producing system; hence, associated biological risks still need to be exhaustively evaluated. In the present study, the dynamics of Escherichia coli during the whole living period of Tenebrio molitor larvae (from eggs to pupae) were studied. To this end, a rearing substrate consisting...
The exploitation of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae for the bioaugmentation of probiotic Bacillus clausii strains was evaluated during a 7-day rearing period. qPCR was applied to evaluate the persistence and growth of B. clausii in the rearing substrate and larvae (washed and non-washed). Moreover, the effect of freeze-drying of larvae on...
Antibiotic resistance (AR) is an issue in aquaculture since the excessive use of antibiotics administered both for prophylaxis and metaphylaxis may lead to selection for resistant bacteria, that can be found in edible products (e.g., seafood) marketed for human consumption. There is a paucity of data in the scientific literature on the dynamics of...
Hermetia illucens larvae are among the most promising insects for use as food or feed ingredients due to their ability to convert organic waste into biomass with high-quality proteins. In this novel food or feed source, the absence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their antibiotic resistance (AR) genes, which could be horizontally transferred t...
Over the last years, the potential use of Black Soldier Fly meal (BSF) as a new and sustainable aquafeed ingredient has been largely explored in several fish species. However, only fragmentary information is available about the use of BSF meal-based diets in sturgeon nutrition. In consideration of a circular economy concept and a more sustainable a...
In the present study, Hermetia illucens larvae were reared on a main rearing substrate composed of a coffee roasting byproduct (coffee silverskin, Cs) enriched with microalgae (Schizochytrium limacinum or Isochrysis galbana) at various substitution levels. The microbial diversity of the rearing substrates, larvae and frass (excrement from the larva...
The planthopper Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret (Hemiptera Cixiidae) is the main vector of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’, that cause the grapevine Bois noir disease. Amongst the alternatives to synthetic pesticides, many studies have investigated the use of resistance inducers to control plant pathogens and phytophagous insects. In this study, the...
The well-recognized efficiency of Tenebrio molitor larvae to convert low quality organic matter into a nutritionally valuable biomass was exploited to manage solid wastes coming from the olive oil industry, which represent a severe environmental challenge in the Mediterranean area. Three organic pomace-enriched substrates (mixtures middlings/pomace...
The aim of the present study was to investigate Listeria innocua (used as a surrogate for Listeria monocytogenes) dynamics in a laboratory-scale food chain of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae. To this end, a rearing substrate consisting of organic wheat middlings was spiked with L. innocua cells at three different contamination levels, namely 1,...
The meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (Linnaeus) (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae), is an important vector for the xylem-limited bacterium Xylella fastidiosa (Wells, Raju, Hung, Weisburg, Mandelco-Paul, and Brenner), which is associated with olive quick decline syndrome in southern Italy. The mouthparts of Hemiptera have important roles in host plant...
The increasing World population requires high quantities and guaranteed quality of food with high nutritional value and little or no residues of synthetic pesticides. Therefore, it is mandatory to set up new agricultural techniques to improve soil fertility, favor optimal growth of crop plants, and increase crop resilience and resistance to pathoge...
Xylem sap sucking insects are adapted to ingest fluids under tension. Although much has been learned about such feeding strategy, this adaptation still poses several unresolved questions, including how these insects ingest against strong xylem sap tension. Xylem sap-feeding insects are vectors of the plant pathogenic xylem-limited bacterium Xylella...
In the present research, bacterial diversity was studied during a 6-month feeding trial utilizing zebrafish (Danio rerio) fed Hermetia illucens reared on different substrates with an emphasis on fish gut bacterial diversity. A polyphasic approach based on viable counting, PCR-DGGE and metagenomic 16S rRNA gene amplicon target sequencing was applied...
The yellow mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera Tenebrionidae) is an important stored products pest, although its larvae are also one of the most promising for food and feed. Although T. molitor has been widely investigated, there remains a lack of information about the sensory structures on maxillary and labial palps. Here, it was inves...
The aim of this work was to find alternative low-cost and environmentally friendly rearing substrates for the growth of Hermetia illucens (HI) (Diptera, Stratiomydae), used as feed. At this purpose, insect feeding substrates based on the re-use of coffee silverskin, the main waste product of the coffee-roasting industry, enriched with various perce...
The pores and associated glands on male antennae in species of Hymenoptera are involved in mate recognition and are diverse and widespread among taxa. However, nothing has been published about these structures in species of Aphelinus (Chalcidoidea: Aphelinidae), a genus of parasitoid wasps with a long history in biological control. Images from scan...
The widespread decline of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies registered in recent years has raised great attention to the need of gathering deeper knowledge about this phenomenon, by observing the colonies’ activity to identify possible causes, and design corresponding countermeasures. In fact, honey bees have well-known positive effects on bot...
In phytophagous sap-sucking insects, the precibarial valve plays an important role in sap ingestion. We used light and electron microspcopy to study the morphology and the ultrastructure of the precibarial valve of the meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera, Aphrophoridae), in order to better understand the operative mechanism of this st...
In the present study, the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in laboratory-reared fresh mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor L.), their feeding substrates (carrots and wheatmeal), and frass was assessed. Microbial counts on selective media added with antibiotics highlighted the presence of lactic acid bacteria resistant to ampicillin and vanc...
The use of nets to prevent insect damages on fruits is widespread, but there are no experiments for the control of the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi). The use of two plastic nets (HDPE 0.22 μ) with different meshes (0.8×0.3 mm and 1.0×1.6 mm) was investigated in an adult ‘Piantone di Mogliano’ olive orchard in the Marche Region (central...
The function and structure of the ovipositor in Hymenoptera have been studied intensively, although there is a lack of information on the external sheaths. We provide here a contribution on the structure of the external sheaths of the ovipositor of the parasitic wasp Aphidius ervi, in particular the secretory structure is described for the fi rst t...
Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are well known insects that have positive effects on the human being life. They
are so important that the honey bee colonies decline of the last years has produced an increasing interest for their
safeguard. In this context, the proposed work aims at studying and developing an innovative system capable of
monitoring t...
Pimplinae are parasitoids belonging to the family Ichneumonidae that attack and develops inside hidden host; female wasps evolved a peculiar host recognition strategy, that involves the use of self-produced vibrations which are transmitted through the antennae on the substrate and perceived back as an echo using the leg subgenual organ. In this stu...
In recent years, the idea of exploiting edible insects for their industrial production has attracted the attention of media, research institutions and food industry operators, because of the numerous positive factors associated with this food source. Notwithstanding, insects are still underutilized in Western countries. Moreover, edible insects are...
Entomophagy has been linked to nutritional, economic, social and ecological benefits. However, scientific studies on the potential safety risks in eating edible insects need to be carried out for legislators, markets and consumers. In this context, the microbiota of edible insects deserves to be deeply investigated. The aim of this study was to elu...
The polyphagous planthopper Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret is considered to be the principal vector of stolbur phytoplasma, which is associated with yellow diseases of grapevine. To explore the possibility of developing novel control strategies, the behavioral responses to six synthetic mixtures and nine single compounds, previously identified from...
Palms are the food source for a variety of herbivores worldwide. All palm organs can be affected by pests: foliage, roots, flowers, fruit bunches, developing spear, and stems. The herbivores include mainly insects and Acari from different feeding guilds and taxa, in particular: defoliators (Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, and Phasmida), stipe borers (Cole...
The taxonomic position of the family Castniidae within the order Lepidoptera has changed over time. Initially, it was classified in the superfamily Sesioidea, and then it was grouped in a large assemblage including the Cossoidea, Sesioidea, and Zygaenoidea. Recent studies have included it in the superfamily Cossoidea. In Europe, the palm borer moth...
This chapter on Paysandisia archon behavior, ecology, and communication is presented in three parts. The first part deals with reproductive behavior and the sex pheromone. In this section, mating behavior is described with a consideration of optimal age and diel periodicity. Early observations have shown that mating can occur a few hours after adul...
This chapter reviews the current control methods against red palm weevil (RPW, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) and palm borer moth (PBM, Paysandisia archon). Scientific documents covering different features of their bio-ecology and control (legal control, cultural control, biological control, chemical control, and methods using semiochemicals) together...
The forestry, agriculture and horticulture industries in Europe are under increasing risk from established and invasive pests due to environmental change and the globalization of trade. This book focuses on two invasive insect pests, the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Red Palm Weevil, RPW) and the moth Paysandisia archon (Palm Borer Mot...
The meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (L.) (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea: Aphrophoridae), is a
polyphagous species that transmits Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium associated with “Olive Quick Decline
Syndrome” in Southern Italy. In this study, the morphology and the ultrastructure of the antennal sensilla
of P. spumarius were investigated. The antenn...
Neodryinus typhlocybae (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae) is a natural enemy of the planthopper Metcalfa pruinosa, which was introduced from North America into Europe and has become established in various regions as a pest species. Vibrational signals play a crucial role in the communication of M. pruinosa, which appears to be exploited by N. typhlocybae. Sc...
Bois noir is an economically important grapevine yellows that is induced by 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani' and principally vectored by the planthopper Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret (Hemiptera: Cixiidae). This study explores the 'Ca. P. solani' genetic variability associated to the nettle– H. obsoletus and bindweed–H. obsoletus systems in vineyard...
Adaptation of parasitoids to their phytophagous host is often mediated by environmental conditions and by the food plant of the phytophagous host. Therefore, the host food plant can indirectly affect the survival and fitness of parasitoids that also attack quiescent host stages, such as eggs, in which the resources available to the immature parasit...
Paysandisia archon (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) is a serious pest of palm trees. A comprehensive knowledge of the insect olfactory system is essential for the development of efficient semiochemical-based control methods. The olfactory sensilla are located particularly on the antennae, and these can detect plant volatiles that provide important cues fo...
We investigated the presence of the leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus Ball in the Marche region, central Italy, during a 10-year survey.
Furthermore, from 2009 to 2011, yellow sticky traps were deployed to investigate the population dynamics. Taylor‟s power
law and distance-weighted least-squares contour maps were used to determine the leafhopper dist...
We studied Paysandisia archon (Burmeister) (Lepidoptera: Castniidae: Castniinae) courtship behavior to provide a detailed qualitative and quantitative description of male and female
behaviors. Moreover, to investigate the role of antennal olfaction and visual stimuli in mate-recognition, bioassays with antennectomized adults and dummies were perfor...
Morphological studies were carried out to determine whether females of the boxwood leafminer, Monarthropalpus buxi
(Laboulbène) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) have a pheromone gland, its position and ultra-structure. In addition, the reproductive behaviour
of this gall midge was studied in the laboratory in a wind-tunnel. The source of the sex pheromone...
Sex-dispersal differences of four phloem-feeding vectors and their relationship to wild-plant abundance were analyzed over 2 yr in two vineyard agroecosystems. Adults of Euscelis lineolatus Brullè, Neoaliturus fenestratus (Herrich-Schäffer), Psammotettix alienus (Dahlbom), and Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret were sampled by using yellow sticky traps...
The aim of this study was to carry out biomonitoring with honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) to assess the presence of pesticides and heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, nickel, lead) in all of the ten nature reserves of the Marche Region (central– eastern Italy). The study was carried out during the spring and summer seasons when the honeybees were active...
The seasonal variations of grapevine yellow phytoplasma were investigated in four
phloem-feeding planthopper and leafhopper species that are vectors of plant disease agents. In total,
1,148 wild specimens were collected from three vineyard agroecosystems in the Marche region
(centralÐeastern Italy), from May to September 2008, and analyzed using po...
Grapholita funebrana (plum fruit moth) is a serious pest in many plum orchards in Italy. Control of the plum fruit moth using the false-trail following technique or 'sexual disorientation' is here evaluated in two commercial plum orchards for baby-food production, based on a zero pesticide residue management system. The effectiveness of the false-t...
A survey was carried out to determine the occurrence and distribution of leafhopper and planthopper vectors, or suspected ("potential") vectors, of phytoplasmas in the most important viticultural areas of the Marche region of Italy. The investigations also determined the herbaceous plant hosts of the planthopper Hyalesthes obsoletus. Many species o...
A preventative and a curative field trial were carried out in 2008 on in-ground and potted Trachycarpus fortunei (Hooker) Wendland palms in order to evaluate the efficacy of two different formulations of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) in respectively preventing new Paysandisia archon Burmeister infestations and contr...
Palm Protect is an EU-funded program (2012-14) entitled: “Strategies for eradication and containment of invasive palm borers, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus and Paysandisia archon. The project aims at throwing light on aspects of the pest biology in Europe, which are unknown and preclude efficient control, validating new and reliable methods for detecti...
A total of 174 specimens of the African palm weevil Rhynchophorus phoenicis (F.) were sampled during 2010, in eight different localities of the Southwest region of Cameroon. Male and female weevils were measured (body length, abdomen length, abdomen width, pronotum length, pronotum width, head size, and length from tip of rostrum to antennal insert...
In view of the phytosanitary importance of nematodes of the genus Bursaphelenchus and the limited information available on their ultrastructure, we carried out a study of the buccal cavity and oesophageal area of Bursaphelenchus mucronatus Mamiya et Enda, 1979. Like the quarantine species Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner et Bührer) Nickle, its d...
Trichogramma spp. (Hymenoptera Trichogrammatidae) are endoparasitic wasps that attack the eggs of mainly Lepidoptera spe-cies. The morphology of the antennal multiporous gustatory sensilla of five Trichogramma species is studied and compared: Trichogramma cacoeciae Marchal, Trichogramma chilonis Ishii, Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura, Trichogramm...
The Palearctic planthopper Hyalesthes obsoletus is the natural vector of the grapevine yellow disease Bois noir. Grapevine is an occasional host plant of this polyphagous planthopper. To deepen our knowledge of the role of plant volatile organic compounds for H. obsoletus host plant searching, we carried out behavioral, morphological, and electroph...
Deciding on which phytosanitary emergency measures shall be applied in a delimited area is associated with many difficulties. Compulsory measures may strongly affect citizens, municipalities, nurseries and other third parties involved. Studies carried out in the Marche region (Central-Eastern Italy) during 2007–10 aimed to limit the spread of Rhync...
The fine morphology of glandular structures associated with the antennae is reported for the first time in a social parasite ant, the obligate slave-maker Polyergus rufescens (Latreille, 1798). In this species, external pores have been detected through scanning electron microscopy only on the scape of the female castes (queen and worker). Each pore...
Deciding on which phytosanitary emergency measures shall be applied in a delimited area is associated with many difficulties. Compulsory measures may strongly affect citizens, municipalities, nurseries and other third parties involved. Studies carried out in the Marche region (Central‐Eastern Italy) during 2007–10 aimed to limit the spread of Rhync...
Red Palm Weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, native of southern eastern Asia, is a major pest of palm species, including cultivated, ornamental and spontaneous plants. Adult females oviposit inside young leaves or in wound of the trunk and larvae bore the palm trees leading to their death. The goal of this work, financed by the IAEA (Vienna, A...
Traumatocampa pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermller) (Pine Processionary Moth, PPM) is one of the most threatening defoliator in Mediterranean pinewoods, because of its high biotic potential. PPM is becoming an increasing threat even where its presence has never been reported. PPM lays scale-covered egg-batches around pine needles. In Northeastern Ital...
Hyalesthes obsoletus is a palearctic planthopper, natural vector of a yellow disease (Bois noir) to grapevine. Grapevine represents only an accidental plant host for this planthopper while its whole life cycle occurs mainly on bindweed and hedge bindweed (Germany and France), nettle (Germany and Italy) and chaste tree (Israel). Behavioural, morphol...
The occurrence of male antennal glands in three hymenopteran parasitoids belonging to the family Encyrtidae (Leptomastix dactylopii, Rhopus meridionalis and Asitus phragmitis) is reported for the first time. The ultrastructure and function of these glands are described in detail. In all three species the glands consist of clustered unicellular secr...
Egg parasitoids are considered the most effective biocontrol agents of crop pests among parasitic wasps, since they are able
to remove the herbivore from the agroecosystem before larval eclosion. The use of arthropod eggs as hosts by parasitoids has
evolved in the Hymenoptera at least in 14 families. Of these, only Trichogrammatidae, Scelionidae an...
Despite their relevance as harmful pests on plants of economic importance, Hemiptera Fulgoromorpha have been poorly studied as regards their antennal sensory structures. In particular, the flagellum has been neglected and, therefore, to date there are no data on its structural organization and sensory equipment. In order to fill this gap, we carrie...
Social insects show a variety of temperature-guided behaviors. Depending on whether heat reaches the sensillum via air movements (convective heat) or as radiant heat, specific adaptations of thermo-sensitive sensilla are expected. In the present study the morphology and the physiology of thermo-sensitive peg-in-pit sensilla (S. coeloconica) of the...
We have studied the courtship behaviour of Trichopria drosophilae Perkins (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae), a pupal parasitoid of the common fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster Meigen (Diptera: Drosophilidae), to understand the role of the antennae. Virgin pairs of the parasitoid perform an intense and stereotyped antennal courtship, which leads to copulati...
The antennal morphology of Psylliodes chrysocephala L. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), an important pest of oilseed rape (Brassica napus), was studied. Two types of tricellular, integumentary glands were found. The common antennal glands are distributed under all sensilla-bearing parts of male and female antennae. The male-specific antennal glands are...
The apple leaf curling midge, Dasineura mali (Kieffer 1904), damages apple trees when inducing leaf galls. Recently a new species, Macrolabis mali Anfora 2005, signalled from South Tyrol to South Western Germany, was described and hypothesized to be an inquiline of D mali. In this study, investigations of the biology of M mali and its interactions...
Abstract The host acceptance behaviour in Aphidius ervi is investigated, assessing the role of both external and internal host-associated cues, offered to the experimental parasitoids with parafilm-made aphid dummies. The reaction to internal cues present in the host haemolymph is clearly evident, and its intensity is enhanced by external cues. Par...
The relationships between the planthopper Hyalesthes obsoletus, its herbaceous host plants (nettle and bindweed), and "bois noir" phytoplasma strains (tuf-type) were studied in five different vineyard areas of the Marche region (Italy). Stolbur phytoplasma was detected by molecular analysis of planthoppers and of their host plants. These planthoppe...
Location, structure and histology of chemosensilla on the tip of the ovipositor of the parasitoid Leptopilina heterotoma are described based on SEM and TEM studies. Furthermore, we developed a method for recording extracellular action potentials from the gustatory neurons in response to host haemolymph. This method allowed us to record multi-unit r...
Before oviposition, a Lygus rugulipennis (Poppius) (Heteroptera: Miridae) female explores the substrate with her mouthparts, performing ‘probing’ behaviour which eventually leads to a choice of oviposition site. In this study, morphological and behavioural observations were carried out in order to define the mechanisms through which female bugs rec...