Stefanos S. Andreadis

• Ph.D.
• Researcher at National Agricultural Research Foundation

The larva of codling moth Cydia pomonella (Tortricidae, Lepidoptera) is known as the worm in the apple, mining the fruit for food. We here show that codling moth larvae are closely associated with yeasts of the genus Metschnikowia. Yeast is an essential part of the larval diet and further promotes larval survival by reducing the incidence of fungal...

Associations between yeasts and insect herbivores are widespread, and these inter-kingdom interactions play a crucial role in yeast and insect ecology and evolution. We report a survey of insect attraction to live yeast from a community ecology perspective. In the summer of 2013 we screened live yeast cultures of Metschnikowia pulcherrima, M. andau...

Lycoriella ingenua Dufour (Diptera: Sciaridae) is acknowledged as the major pest species of the white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, throughout the world. Components of the female-produced sex pheromone of this species were identified previously as C15-C18 n-alkanes, with the major component n-heptadecane, and shown to be attractive to L. mali...

Mosquitoes use chemical codes to locate and discriminate among vertebrate hosts to obtain a blood meal. Recent advances have allowed for the identification of the chemical codes used by mosquitoes to locate and discriminate humans from other vertebrate hosts. Humans are incidental “dead-end” hosts for the West Nile virus, which is maintained in an...

Simple Summary The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is a polyphagous species that causes severe damage to tree fruit, small fruit, vegetables, ornamental crops, and field crops. Classical biological control is one potential long-term and low-cost strategy to control the BMSB, using natural enemies. However, no natural enemy native to Greece that i...

Invasive species such as Halyomorpha halys (Stål, 1855), the brown marmorated stink bug, pose a significant threat to agriculture due to their rapid spread and adaptability. The aim of this study is to assess the phenotypic variability of H. halys populations by analyzing the size and shape morphology of the anterior and posterior wings and to dete...

Precision Agriculture is an agricultural management strategy that aims to increase farmers’ profit, maximize crop productivity and sustainability, and protect the environment by applying inputs in optimum rates based on plant needs. The delineation of site-specific management zones is a crucial step at the application of Precision Agriculture. Howe...

Peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] is a major fruit crop particularly in Northern Greece, which is infested by several pests that threaten both yield and quality. In 2024, Polydrusus tibialis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a weevil species known to attack various fruit trees, was identified infesting peach orchards in the region of Pella, Northern Gr...

Understanding how life is adapting to urban environments represents an important challenge in evolutionary biology. Here we investigate a widely cited example of urban adaptation, Culex pipiens form molestus, also known as the London Underground Mosquito. Population genomic analysis of ~350 contemporary and historical samples counter the popular hy...

The emergence of insects as a nutrient source in the human diet and animal feed propels the urgent development of a viable mass production sector. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the suitability of rice and corn by-products as substrates for mealworm rearing namely Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in terms of growt...

The increasing demands for resources driven by the global population necessitate exploring sustainable alternatives for affordable animal protein over the use of traditional protein sources. Insects, with their high protein content, offer a promising solution, especially when reared on agricultural post-distillation residues for enhanced sustainabi...

The increasing global population has led to high food demand and the interest for alternative resources is highly topical. The interest in utilizing insects as a source of food and feed has been rapidly increasing, as the on-growing population has made the need for protein even more demanding. Insect rearing is economically viable, since they can b...

Simple Summary The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is a pentatomid bug that feeds on a wide range of economically important crops. Crop protection in newly invaded areas mainly relies on the use of broad-spectrum chemical insecticides, while little to no information is available regarding a classical biological control approach. The...

Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is becoming a major pest of Greece’s agricultural production, including tree fruit. Until now, the control of this pest has been based on conventional methods, with the application of chemical insecticides being the primary option. However, the wide distribution of H. halys, in combination with the...

Ooencyrtus mirus Triapitsyn & Power (Hymenoptera, Encyrtidae) is recorded for the first time in Europe. It was found parasitising eggs of the invasive true bug Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae). This parasitoid is part of the Ooencyrtus telenomicida species complex where accurate species identification requires molecular data. Using...

Simple Summary Nowadays, aquaculture is the main source of fish for consumers, and its demand is constantly increasing. The diet of these fish requires protein for their growth, which is traditionally obtained from natural fish stocks. In recent years, efforts have been made to replace these feed ingredients with insect-derived meals, but it is nec...

This work assesses the dietary use of two insect meals of Tenebrio molitor (TM) larvae reared in conventional (TM-10) or MAPs-enriched substrates (MAP-TM-10) as fish meal replacements (10%) in the diets of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). Fish (n=4,500; 207.19 ± 1.47 g) were divided into three groups with triplicates: Control (fed conventional di...

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is native to Japan, China, Taiwan, and Korea. Its dispersion from Asia to the United States of America and Europe caused serious damage to fruit, vegetables, and high-value crops. In Greece, damages are reported in kiwi orchards in the regions of Pieria and Imathia, w...

The emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from plants is associated with biotic and abiotic stress and depends on the plant species, organs, and developmental stage. Insects use VOCs to locate their host plants and their behavior is heavily influenced by the chemical profile of each at its current phenological stage. The brown marmorated st...

Simple Summary In this study we investigated the oviposition rates and fecundity of females of Halyomorpha halys, by collecting adults soon after they entered their overwintering sites and allowing them to overwinter for 2, 3, 4 and 5 months in natural conditions of Northern Greece. We studied the occurrence of a facultative reproductive diapause i...

In terms of sustainability and circular economy, agricultural by-products may be efficiently reused in insects’ rearing for high-quality protein sources in human diet and animal feeds. The present study aimed to explore whether the utilization of carob pods as feeding substrate may beneficially affect Tenebrio molitor’s growth, nutritional value, a...

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a highly polyphagous pest that causes severe damage to a wide range of hosts by feeding on vegetative and reproductive organs of plants, as well as on seeds. The aim of the present study was to determine if BMSB injures hemp seeds and to what the extent of this i...

Simple Summary Potato is one of the most universally cultivated horticultural crops and is vulnerable to a range of herbivorous insects. One of them is the brown marmorated stink bug, an invasive polyphagous sap-sucking agricultural insect pest that penetrates the phloem to sieve elements and removes sap via a specialized mouthpart, the stylet. By...

Industrial production of Tenebrio molitor larvae (TML), a promising source of protein for food, requires safety, fast growth, maturation, and high survival. Probiotics, enhance host growth and protect against pathogens and diseases. This study evaluates the effects of three probiotic bacteria immobilized on the diet of mealworms, on growth performa...

Sustainability, circular economy and alternative production systems are urgent imperatives for humanity and animal husbandry. Unless wasted, agri-food by-products can offer a promising source of high value. We evaluated the effect of rice bran (RB), corncob (CC), potato peels (PP), solid biogas residues (BR), and olive-oil processing residuals (OR)...

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are the largest group of blood-feeding insects that disturb not only humans but also other mammals and birds. This study reports the presence of native mosquito species in the regional unit of Thessaloniki and the monitoring of their population. In total, 13 mosquito species belonging to four genera were identified....

Megaselia halterata (Wood) (Diptera: Phoridae) is a major pest of cultivated white button mushrooms, Agaricus bisporus (J.E.Lange) Emil J. Imbach (Agaricales: Agaricaceae), in the United States. The incidence and severity of M. halterata have been increasing in recent years, possibly due to the removal of certain chemical pesticides from tolerance...

We evaluated photosystem II (PSII) functionality in potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.) before and after a 15 min feeding by the leaf miner Tuta absoluta using chlorophyll a fluorescence imaging analysis combined with reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection. Fifteen minutes after feeding, we observed at the feeding zone and at the whole leaf a dec...

The mushroom phorid fly, Megaselia halterata (Wood), is a common pest of mushroom production in many parts of the world. Due to the reduced availability of conventional insecticides for mushroom production, M. halterata has recently developed into a major pest in the top mushroom-producing county in the United States (Chester County, PA). Mushrooms...

How Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes select and discriminate between potential avian hosts is critical for understanding the epidemiology of West Nile virus. Therefore, the present authors studied the behavioural responses of Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) and Culex pipiens molestus (Forsskål) to headspace volatiles of three avian species [chick...

Gravid female mushroom sciarid flies, Lycoriella ingenua (Dufour:1839) (Diptera:Sciaridae), were confirmed in laboratory experiments as vectors for the fungal pathogen Trichoderma aggressivum f. aggressivum (Samuels and Gams), causal agent of mushroom green mold disease in mushroom farming. The gravid females acquired the fungal spores when exposed...

Studying the biology of Culex species is crucial to understanding their role in arbovirus transmission and for the development of efficient control strategies. Assessments of survival, development, adult longevity, fecundity and egg hatching of Culex pipiens form ‘molestus’ (Forsskål), were conducted, under nine constant and fluctuating temperature...

The mushroom phorid fly, Megaselia halterata (Wood) (Diptera: Phoridae), is a key pest in mushroom farming in most parts of the world. Studies on the mushroom phorid fly have focused on its life history within mushroom growing houses, but little is known about the fly's activity outside mushroom growing houses. In this study, daily activity and dis...

The effect of delayed female mating for the mushroom fungus gnat Lycoriella ingenua is investigated. We examine the effect of delaying female mating on the fertility and egg viability of female flies that have a mating delay of 0–5 days after emergence. Male fly age is held constant. Female age does not impact male acceptance and most flies copulat...

The Editor-in-Chief and the Subject Editors of Entomologia Hellenicathank the following scientists for their voluntary commitment of valuable professional time and expertise to peer reviewing manuscripts submitted for publication in our journal. The quality and scientific stature of the journal depends on the conscientious efforts of these individu...

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Stal) is a pest of numerous annual and perennial crops. Here we provide additional distribution records for BMSB from Northern Greece where kiwi fruit is cultivated. We also describe the presence of both nymphs and adults feeding on kiwi fruits, providing the first evidence of an association...

The mushroom fly, Lycoriella ingenua Dufour (Diptera: Sciaridae), is a pest in white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) farming in North America. The main risk associated with sciarid flies inside mushroom farms is that the adult can potentially vector mushroom green mold disease caused by the pathogenic fungus Trichoderma aggressivum Samuels & W....

The potato tuberworm, Phthorimaea operculella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a major pest of potato, Solanum tuberosum L. (Solanales: Solanaceae), both in the field and storehouses. The rate of development and survival of P. operculella, reared on potato tubers cv. Spunta at eight constant temperatures (17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, 30, 32.5 and...

We previously showed that the females of the mushroom sciarid, Lycoriella ingenua (Dufour, 1839) (Diptera: Sciaridae), one of the most severe pests of the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus (J.E. Lange) Emil J. Imbach (Agaricales: Agaricaceae), are attracted to the mushroom compost that mushrooms are grown on and not to the mushroo...

Lycoriella ingenua Dufour (Diptera: Sciaridae) is a major pest species in commerical mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) production throughout the world. Grower demand for alternative control measures, following the recent withdrawal of a number of chemical control options, led to a label extension for use of the fungal biopesticide BotaniGard[®] ES, for...

The potato tuberworm, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a worldwide pest of solanaceous crops especially devastating to potatoes. In the present study, we investigated the cold hardiness profile of acclimated and non-acclimated immature and adult stages of a field population of P. operculella. For both acclimated and n...

Female emerald ash borers, Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), emit a macrocyclic lactone, (Z)-3-dodecen-12-olide, that increases field trap captures on large-panel prism traps when co-emitted with the green leaf volatile (Z)-3-hexenol. We assessed attraction to these compounds by using visual decoy-baited branch traps, which attract mal...

To evaluate the attractiveness of several mushroom-growing substrates to the female mushroom fly Lycoriella ingenua (Dufour) (Diptera: Sciaridae), a pest of the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus (JE Lange) Emil J Imbach (Agaricales), we developed a two-choice, static-flow olfactometer. Behavioral assays using this olfactometer ind...

Discoloration of the leaves of unhealthy pomegranate trees, caused by the Coleopteran species Amphicerus bimaculatus (Olivier, 1790), was found in a newly planted pomegranate orchard in April 2011 in northern Greece (Vrontou area). Identification of the species was based on morphological characteristics. This report is the first record of A. bimacu...

The fumigant activity of essential oil vapors distilled from sweet basil Ocimum basilicum L. and spearmint Mentha spicata L. (Lamiaceae) were tested against two major stored products pests Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) and Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Various oil doses (0.5, 2.5, 5, 50, 250, 500, 1,000, and 1,500 µl/liter...

Behavioral Assays for Attractants of Lycoriella mali Stefanos S. Andreadis, Kevin R. Cloonan, Thomas C. Baker Chemical Ecology Lab, Department of Entomology, PennState University, 16802 PA Lycoriella mali Fitch (Diptera: Sciaridae) is acknowledged as the major pest species of commercial mushrooms throughout the world causing severe damage. La...

Behavioral responses of Cydia pomonella and Spodoptera littoralis larvae to yeast volatiles Andreadis S.S.1,*, Knight A.L.2, Witzgall P.1 1Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Protection Biology, 23053 Alnarp, Sweden 2USDA-ARS Yakima, Wapato, WA 98951, USA *Present address: PennState University, Chemical Ecology...

Lycoriella mali Fitch (Diptera: Sciaridae) is the major insect pest species of the white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, throughout the world causing severe damage. Larvae of the flies feed on the mycelia and tunnel into the caps and stems of mushrooms. Moreover, adults of L. mali act as vectors for spreading fungus spores of Trichoderma aggres...

The common house mosquito, Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae), which is considered the primary bridge vector of West Nile Virus (WNV) to humans, is a wide spread insect pest with medical importance and consists of two distinct bioforms, Cx. pipiens f. pipiens and Cx. pipiens f. molestus. Here, we consider the adult lifespan of male and female Cx. p...

Identification of the sex pheromone of Cydia splendana (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) by pheromone gland analysis followed by field trapping with synthetic compounds shows the occurrence of two pheromone races. Acorn moth females from Sweden, where oak Quercus robur is the only host plant, use a blend of the E,Z and E,E isomers of 8,10-dodecadien-1-yl...

Venturia canescens is a parthenogenetic koinobiont endoparasitoid of several pyralid moth larvae that are major pests of stored products. Low temperatures have been extensively used to control stored-product insects as an alternative method to the application of traditional pesticides. However, most studies have focused on the cold hardiness profil...

Sesamia nonagrioides Lefébvre (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) has a fairly wide range of host plants. The present study tests the egg-laying preference of S. nonagrioides on four potential host plants (maize, sweet and fiber sorghum and johnsongrass) with respect to several life history traits. No-choice and two-choice tests in all possible combinations w...

On examination of the wound of a patient who was treated previously with external fixation for a diaphysial fracture of the femur, we observed the presence of multiple living larvae (maggots) of dipterous flies. Treatment included removal of the maggots and use of antibiotic. The importance of hygiene and sanitation is discussed.

The risk of insects evolving resistance to Bt transgenic crops is a major concern in agriculture. In Lepidoptera, one of the factors associated with resistance to Bt toxin is the cadherin Cry1A toxin receptor in the membranes of larval midgut cells. A cDNA encoding a putative Cry1A toxin receptor with high similarity to cadherin sequences identifie...

The effect of various constant temperatures on survival, development and adult longevity of Sesamia nonagrioides Lefébvre (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was studied under laboratory conditions. The following temperatures were tested: 14, 17, 21, 25 and 31 °C. The percentage of individuals that completed development at each temperature as well as the days...

Τα έντομα αποτελούν την πολυπληθέστερη κλάση των αρθροπόδων και μία εκ των πολυπληθέστερων του ζωϊκού βασιλείου. Ο σημαντικός ρόλος που παίζουν τα έντομα στον κόσμο των ζώντων οργανισμών εκτιμάται κάθε χρόνο και περισσότερο, όχι μόνο εξαιτίας της προσοχής που δίδεται στα επιζήμια είδη αλλά και για την αύξηση της συνειδητοποίησης ότι πολλά είδη είνα...

Mating disruption is a worldwide commercially viable pest management technique. In the past 20 years numerous pheromone-mediated mating disruption studies have been applied in Greece, targeting, mainly for lepidopteran pests. The major limitation for the further adoption of mating disruption in Greece is the typical small plot size of agricultural...

Mosquitoes of the genus Culex are considered as major vectors of many arboviruses that cause human diseases all over the world, such as, West Nile Virus, Japanese encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, and Western equine encephalitis. Female Culex mosquitoes form a droplet at the apex of each egg, which affects the oviposition behaviour of intraspec...

The effect of various constant temperatures on survival, development, and adult longevity of Venturia canescens Gravenhorst (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) parasitizing larvae of Plodia interpunctella Hübner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was studied under laboratory conditions. The following temperatures were tested: 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, 30, and 3...

The cold hardiness profile of immature and adult stages of the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella was investigated in the laboratory. Supercooling point (SCP) of early instars, late instars, pupae and adults of E. kuehniella was determined using a circulating bath with a cooling rate of 1 °C/min. Mean SCP of pupae was significantly lower...

Οι γρήγορες αλλαγές στο περιβάλλον και το κλίμα της γης, επιδρούν στην εξέλιξη των αρθοπόδων με τρόπους που δεν μπορούσαν να προβλεφθούν πριν από μερικά χρόνια. Έτσι, αφού προσδιορίστηκαν από τους επιστήμονες τα αίτια των αρθροποδο-μεταφερόμενων ασθενειών και η σχέση τους με τη δημόσια υγεία, κατά τη διάρκεια του 20ου αιώνα ακολούθησε ταχεία ανάπτυ...

The aim of the present study was to determine the optimum time for spraying against the olive moth, Prays oleae, in olive orchards in the prefecture of Evros. This involved placing of pheromone traps as well as sampling in commercial olive orchards. Data collected by captures in pheromone traps as well as sampling revealed that the population of th...

The major pest of maize in Mediterranean Europe, the stem borer Sesamia nonagrioides (Lefèbvre) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), has a fragmented distribution, north and south of the Sahara. The present study aimed: (1) to clarify the uncertain taxonomic status of the Palearctic and sub-Saharan populations which were first considered as different species...

The cold hardiness profile of immature and adult stages of the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was investigated in the laboratory. Supercooling point (SCP) of early instars, late instars, pupae and adults of E. kuehniella was determined using a circulating bath with a cooling rate of 1°C/min. Mean SCP o...

A three year (2003–2005) field study compared the susceptibility to the Cry1Ab toxin, expressed in Bt maize, of Mediterranean corn borer (MCB) Sesamia nonagrioides populations collected from areas with different adoption rates of Bt maize in Spain with Bt-free areas in Greece. Spain is the only European country where the cultivar Compa CB derived f...

In this study, the effect of high temperatures on certain biological aspects of the koinobiont endoparasitoid Venturia canescens Gravenhorst (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) was examined in the laboratory. Immature life stages of V. canescens (egg, 1 st or 2 nd instar larva and pupa) were exposed to high temperatures for one hour and the developmental...

Sesamia nonagrioides Lefébvre (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is considered one of the most destructive pests of corn in the Mediterranean region. The purpose of the present study was to investigate some aspects of the cold tolerance of non-diapausing and diapausing laboratory reared larvae of S. nonagrioides, as well as of field-collected larvae, taking...

The effect of various constant temperatures on the growth rate and adult longevity of Venturia canescens Gravenhorst (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) parasitizing larvae of Plodia interpunctella Huebner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was studied in the laboratory. Newly parasitized fifth instar larvae of Plodia interpunctella were transferred to constant con...

Effect of short-term high temperatures on survival rates, longevity and parasitization efficiency of Venturia canescens Gravenhorst (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) parasitizing larvae of Plodia interpunctella Hübner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was studied in the laboratory. Experimental adults of V. canescens were exposed for 1 hour under various tempera...

Abstract The age-dependent cold hardiness profile of Ostrinia nubilalis is compared between nondiapausing and diapausing larvae, as well as with field-collected larvae. The results suggest that both cold tolerance and accumulation of cryoprotectants depends upon the age of O. nubilalis larva. Late fifth-instar nondiapausing larvae are more cold tol...

The high-dose/refuge strategy is considered as the main strategy for delaying resistance in target pests to genetically modified crops that produce insecticidal proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner. This strategy is based on a key assumption that resistance alleles are initially rare (<10(-3)). To test this assumption, we used an F...

Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a key pest of grapes in Europe. It overwinters as a pupa in the bark crevices of the plant. Supercooling point (SCP) and low temperature survival was investigated in the laboratory and was determined using a cool bath and a 1 °C min−1 cooling rate. Freezing was fatal both to dia...