Yongyue Lu

• Professor (Full) at South China Agricultural University

The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta, RIFA) is a globally invasive species with strong sensitivity to environmental conditions. This study investigated the seasonal dynamics and colony structure of RIFA over the course of one year across two typical habitats in South China: Camellia oleifera plantations and fishponds. The results revealed...

Background Transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels play crucial roles in mediating responses to environmental stimuli, as well as regulating homeostasis and developmental processes in insects. Several members of the TRP superfamily are potential molecular targets for insecticides or repellents, indicating their research value in pest contro...

Simple Summary As significant invasive pests, the melon fruit fly (Zeugodacus cucurbitae) and the oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) cause significant economic losses in agricultural and forestry production. Their high reproductive capacity and adaptability further complicate control efforts. This paper investigates the oviposition competitio...

In tropical environments, insect prey face high predation rates due to the diverse interspecific interactions driven by various environmental factors. However, a detailed understanding of how these factors interact to influence predation rate remains limited. This complexity increases with the presence of both native and nonnative predators, yet no...

BACKGROUND The melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), is a significant pest of fruit and vegetable crops. In the physiological processes of insects, N‐β‐phenylalanine dopamine synthase (ebony) plays a crucial role in insect physiology, with its activity depending on the interaction between dopamine and β‐alanine. However, our understanding...

Background The rhythmic mating behavior of insects has been extensively documented, yet the regulation of this behavior through sex pheromone sensing olfactory genes affected by the clock genes in the rhythm pathway remains unclear. Results In this study, we investigated the impact of circadian rhythm on female recognition of male rectal Bacillus-...

Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), widely employed in surfactants, coatings, plastics, corrosion inhibitors, and fire-extinguishing agents, is less regulated than PFOS or PFOA but displays higher bioaccumulation and potential toxicity. Most toxicity assessments have focused on mammals, fish, and algae, with limited research on ground-dwelling arthropod...

Many animals display physiological and behavioral activities limited to specific times of the day. Certain insects exhibit clear daily rhythms in their mating activities that are regulated by an internal biological clock. However, the specific genetic mechanisms underlying this regulation remain largely unexplored. Mating in the fruit fly Bactrocer...

Ants as social insects live in groups, which increases the risk of contagious diseases. In response to the threat of pathogens, ants have evolved a variety of defense mechanisms, including incorporating antimicrobial chemicals into nest material for nest hygiene. Crematogaster rogenhoferi is an arboreal ant, building its nest using plant tissues. I...

Some insects have evolved beneficial relationships with intestinal microbes for sex pheromone production to communicate with conspecifics effectively. However, it is not clear whether the sex pheromone synthesis activity of intestinal microbes can be controlled by the host, and the molecular mechanisms need to be further unraveled. In this study, w...

The red imported fire ant (RIFA, Solenopsis invicta Buren) represents a significant invasive pest in China, exerting extensive negative impacts on ecosystems. The invasion of RIFA not only poses a severe threat to biodiversity within the environment; inappropriate controlling measures can also adversely affect community dynamics. Therefore, while i...

No mechanoreceptor potential C (NompC) is a major mechanotransduction channel with an important role in sensing of external mechanical stimuli by insects, which help these organisms to avoid injury and adapt to environmental changes. To explore the biological functions of NompC in Bactrocera dorsalis , a notorious agricultural pest, we successfully...

Deciding where to lay an egg is critical for the survival of insects' offspring. Compared with our understanding of the chemosensory assessment of egg‐laying sites, the mechanisms of texture detection are largely unknown. Here, we show that Bactrocera dorsalis , a notoriously agricultural pest laying its eggs within ripening fruits, can discriminat...

Simple Summary The red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren poses a significant threat to biodiversity, agriculture, and public health in its introduced ranges. Chemicals are the main methods for S. invicta control. To explore more active ingredients for fire ant control, the toxicity and horizontal transfer effects of sulfoxaflor, triflumezo...

Sexual dimorphism is a crucial aspect of mating and reproduction in many animals, yet the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In Bactrocera dorsalis, sex pheromones trimethylpyrazine (TMP) and tetramethylpyrazine (TTMP) are specifically synthesized by Bacillus strains in the male rectum. In the female rectum, Bacillus strains are found, but TMP an...

The rhythmic mating behavior of insects has been extensively documented, yet the regulation of this behavior through sex pheromone sensing olfactory genes controlled by the clock genes in the rhythm pathway remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the impact of circadian rhythm on female recognition of male rectal Bacillus-produced sex phero...

Competition, as an interspecific interaction, significantly influences both species evolution and ecosystem stability; furthermore, its outcome can be shaped by interspecific dynamics and chemical communication. We studied the orchard populations of mealybugs, Planococcus lilacinus , and fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis , assessing both their damag...

Simple Summary Bactrocera dorsalis is an invasive fruit fly pest that causes significant damage to vegetables and fruits in Southern China. Insecticides have been used for many years to effectively control B. dorsalis, leading to the development of varying degrees of resistance to a wide range of insecticides. In this study, we monitored the resist...

Simple Summary Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) is a serious threat to the fruit industry. Implementing monitoring procedures is essential for effective pest control. The monitoring of B. dorsalis is predominantly conducted through the use of yellow sticky traps and baited traps, followed by manual counting. However, this approach is both time consumin...

Red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) is a severe and highly destructive invasive species. It has invaded mainland China since 2004. Understanding the foraging behavior patterns of workers in different habitats and conditions can help to develop scientific prevention and control measures. In this study, we used bait traps to measure the...

Simple Summary Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is native to tropical and subtropical regions and is a major pest of many important fruit trees and vegetables. In this study, the egg hatching rate, larval/pupal rate, pupal feathering rate, and pre-laying stage of the beta-cypermethrin-medium-resistant strain were found to be mark...

Simple Summary The colonization of new areas by invasive insects has been a prominent concern in entomology. Bactrocera dorsalis serves as a typical invasive insect, which has expanded its range from southern to northern regions of China in recent years. Host suitability plays a crucial role in the successful establishment of B. dorsalis population...

Insecticide resistance has been a problem in both the agricultural pests and vectors. Revealing the detoxification mechanisms may help to better manage insect pests. Here, we showed that arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (AANAT1) regulates intestinal detoxification process through modulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-activated transcripti...

Simple Summary Bactrocera dorsalis, Bactrocera cucurbitae, and Bactrocera tau are three invasive fruit fly pests that can cause significant economic damage to crops. Chemical agents have become the primary method for improving fruit fly management, leading to the development of insecticide resistance in these three species. Here, we assess the toxi...

Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are economical and environmentally friendly, forming an essential part of integrated pest management strategies. We screened six strains of Beauveria bassiana (B1–B6) (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae), of which B4 was the most virulent to Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae). We further assessed the biologic...

In an ant colony, a large number of nestmates with a similar gene pool coexist, making them more vulnerable to pathogenic attacks. These pathogens influence the behavior and physiology of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren. Here, we evaluated the impact of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) Metarhizium anisopliae on the behavior (locomotion and foragi...

The gut microbiota of insects has been shown to regulate host detoxification enzymes. However, the potential regulatory mechanisms involved remain unknown. Here, we report that gut bacteria increase insecticide resistance by activating the cap “n” collar isoform-C (CncC) pathway through enzymatically generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Bactr...

Elucidating the intricate interactions between viral pathogens and host cellular machinery during infection is paramount for understanding pathogenic mechanisms and identifying potential therapeutic targets. The RNA modification N ⁶ -methyladenosine (m ⁶ A) has emerged as a significant factor influencing the trajectory of viral infections. Hence, t...

Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (B. dorsalis) is an important agricultural invasive pest that causes significant economic losses in tropical and subtropical fruit and vegetable crops. In this study, the proteins related to the sense of smell and taste of B. dorsalis, such as OBP, PBP, OR, IR, SNMP and CSP, were screened based on B. dorsalis transcript...

Although the study of many genes and their protein products is limited by the availability of high‐quality antibodies, this problem could be solved by fusing a tag/reporter to an endogenous gene using a gene‐editing approach. The type II bacterial CRISPR/Cas system has been demonstrated to be an efficient gene‐targeting technology for many insects,...

Molecular studies on odorant receptors (ORs), odorant‐binding proteins (OBPs) and the functioning of the receptor and pheromone signal transduction in fruit fly Bactrocera species have expanded exponentially during the past few decades. OBPs contribute to the sensing of the olfactory system (OS) via the transduction of odorants through the sensillu...

Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) (B. dorsalis) is an important agricultural, major invasive, and quarantine pest that can cause significant damage to the economic value of the fruit and vegetable industry. Male bait is one of the most effective methods of surveying, monitoring, and controlling B. dorsalis. In our study, we constr...

The injudicious and excessive use of synthetic pesticides has deleterious effects on humans, ecosystems, and biodiversity. As an alternative to traditional crop-protection methods, botanical pesticides are gaining importance. In this research endeavor, we examined the contact toxicity, knockdown time, lethal time, and toxicity horizontal transmissi...

The extensive use of neonicotinoids on food crops for pest management has resulted in substantial environmental contamination. It is imperative to develop an effective remediation material and technique as well as to determine the evolution pathways of products. Here, novel ball-milled nitrogen-doped biochar (NBC)-modified zero-valent iron (ZVI) co...

Juvenile hormone (JH) acts in the regulation of caste differentiation between queens and workers (i.e., with or without reproductive capacity) during vitellin synthesis and oogenesis in social insects. However, the regulatory mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Here, we identified a highly expressed microRNA (miRNA), miR‐1175‐3p, in the red im...

Many species of the Tephritidae family are invasive and cause huge damage to agriculture and horticulture, owing to their reproductive characteristics. In this review, we have summarized the existing studies on the reproductive behavior of Tephritidae, particularly those regarding the genes and external factors that are associated with courtship, m...

Studies have shown that intestinal bacteria have profound effects on the neurophysiological development of their hosts via the gut-brain axis. However, it is still unclear whether and how host neurophysiological activities can affect the activity of intestinal bacteria. Here, we examined the molecular basis for the rhythmic production of sex pherom...

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent a class of RNA molecules that do not encode proteins. Generally studied for their regulatory potential in model insects, relatively little is known about their immunoregulatory functions in different castes of eusocial insects, including Solenopsis invicta, a notoriously invasive insect pest. In the current...

BACKGROUND Fertilizers and pesticides are commonly used simultaneously in agriculture. However, the effects of common fertilizers on the dissipation, enantioselectivity, and metabolites of the chiral insecticide fipronil in soil are yet to be reported. RESULT An enantioselective method for detecting fipronil enantiomers and their metabolites in di...

Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel, 1912) (Diptera: Tephritidae), commonly known as the oriental fruit fly, is a highly destructive pest that globally infests fruits and vegetables, resulting in significant annual economic losses. Initially detected in Taiwan Island, it has rapidly expanded its distribution range to various regions in mainland China since...

Simple Summary The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) is a highly invasive pest that causes significant damage to human health, agriculture, and biodiversity. Microbial insecticides have been identified as effective and promising alternatives for pest control. However, their efficacy is limited by the host’s immune system. In this study, we...

Sex pheromones are widely used by insects as a reproductive isolating mechanism to attract conspecifics and repel heterospecifics. Although researchers have obtained extensive knowledge about sex pheromones, little is known about the differentiation mechanism of sex pheromones in closely related species. Using Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera cuc...

Insect response to cold stress is often associated with adaptive strategies and chemical variation. However, low-temperature domestication to promote the cold tolerance potential of Bactrocera dorsalis and transformation of main internal substances are not clear. Here, we use a series of low-temperature exposure experiments, supercooling point (SCP...

BACKGROUND Fruit flies are internationally important quarantine or invasive pests of many fruits and vegetables and can cause serious economic losses. Long‐term reliance on insecticides for controlling these pests has led to increasing resistance to multiple insecticides; hence, a new agent is needed. In this study, the acute toxicity and sublethal...

The cover image is based on the Research Article Surveillance and invasive risk of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren in China by Xiaoliang Wang et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.7297. The cover image is based on the Research Article Surveillance and invasive risk of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren in China by...

Bactrocera dorsalis 产卵的挥发物成分， 于室内测试橘小实蝇对 被产卵不同时间的番石榴果实的产卵偏好， 利用气相色谱-质谱(gas chromatography-mass spec-trometry， GC-MS) 联用技术、 气相色谱-触角电位 (gas chromatography-electroantennographic detec-tion， GC-EAD) 联用技术和生物测试等方法鉴定被产卵不用时间的番石榴果实中可驱避橘小实蝇 产卵的挥发物。结果表明， 被产卵 48 h 后的番石榴果实可显著驱避橘小实蝇产卵， 橘小实蝇在未被 产卵和被产卵番石榴果实中的产卵量分别为 238.9 粒和 90.7 粒。被产卵 48 h 后的番石榴果实中产 生了辛酸乙酯， 该物质可引起...

Protein feeding is critical for male reproductive success in many insect species. However, how protein affects the reproduction remains largely unknown. Using Bactrocera dorsalis as the study model, we investigated how protein feeding regulated sex pheromone synthesis. We show that protein ingestion is essential for sex pheromone synthesis in male....

Gut symbiotic bacteria are known to be closely related to insect development, nutrient metabolism, and disease resistance traits, but the most important factors leading to changes in these communities have not been well clarified. To address this, we examined the associations between the gut symbiotic bacteria and the host genotype and geographical...

BACKGROUND The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren is one of the world's most successful and destructive invasive ant species. In mainland China, fast, monthly and annual pest reports on all pests have been established since 2010. The distribution of S. invicta resulting from climate change in China was predicted using MaxEnt modeling i...

Simple Summary The massive use of synthetic pesticides to manage agricultural pests results in environmental pollution and health hazards. The secondary plant metabolites, which are majorly dominated by terpenoids, have the potential to be developed into novel alternatives to synthetic chemicals. Therefore, the present study aimed at evaluating the...

The arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) enzymes catalyze the acetyl-CoA-dependent acetylation of an amine or arylalkylamine, which is involved in important biological processes of insects. Here, we carried out the molecular and biochemical identification of an arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) from the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera...

Chemicals, including toxic bait and dusts, are the main means of controlling the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta (abbreviation ‘RIFA’), which is a serious invasive pest. To identify environmentally friendly chemicals for controlling RIFA, we tested the toxicity and horizontal transfer of three botanical insecticides—matrine, rotenone, and...

Gut bacteria play important roles in insect life cycle, and various routes can be used by insects to effectively transmit their gut bacteria. However, it is unclear if the gut bacteria can spread by actively attracting their insect hosts, and the recognition mechanisms of host insects are poorly understood. Here, we explore chemical interactions be...

Synthetic pesticides are extensively and injudiciously applied to control agriculture and household pests worldwide. Due to their high use, their toxic residues have enormously increased in the agroecosystem in the past several years. They have caused many severe threats to non-target organisms, including humans. Therefore, the complete removal of...

Bactrocera tau (Walker) is a fly pest species mainly distributed in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific; it causes substantial ecological and economic issues because of its destructiveness and rapid reproduction. Chemical sterilization technology can reduce the use of insecticides and is widely applied for insect pest control. In this study, the s...

Ants easily accumulate cadmium (Cd) from the food web in terrestrial ecosystems. Cd contamination may cause olfactory dysfunction and consequently disorders in the social behavior of ants. To explore the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of Cd exposure on the chemosensory process of ants, we characterized the Cd-induced variations in the ex...

In January 2022, we received ant specimens collected from three field colonies from Shantou City, Guangdong Province, China. They were identified as the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata, through morphological and molecular analyses. Wasmannia auropunctata is listed as one of the 100 most dangerous invasive species by the International Union...

Background Metazoan guts are in permanent contact with microbial communities. However, the host mechanisms that have developed to manage the dynamic changes of these microorganisms and maintain homeostasis remain largely unknown. Results Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) was found to modulate gut microbiome homeostasis via regulation of a dua...

Frequent international trade has accelerated the invasion of alien species. However, data on the distribution of invasive species after their introduction and the factors that determine their geographical distribution are lacking. This study analyzes the distributional trends and their drivers of invasive species in China. In addition, 13 main inva...

Simple Summary Insects are often stressed by adverse factors in their natural environment. Temperature is a crucial driver of insect activity, adaptability, and distribution, and therefore, it greatly impacts the invasive success of alien pests. Bactrocera tau (Walker) is an invasive polyphagous herbivore of vegetables and fruits, now a pest of glo...

BACKGROUND The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is a significant urban, agricultural, and medical pest with a wide distribution in the world. Surface or mound treatment using contact insecticide is one of the main methods to control S. invicta. In the present study, cycloxaprid, a newly discovered neonicotinoid insecticide, was eval...

Background Amplicon sequencing is widely applied in gut bacteria structure analysis. However, the proportion of Gram-positive bacteria may greatly affect the results of microbial community analysis. Lysozyme is an effective agent to extract DNA of Gram-positive bacteria. In this study, we assessed the influence of lysozyme treatment on results of B...

In the long evolutionary process a variety of forms of interaction between microorganisms and insects have been formed． The wide distribution of microorganisms provides background conditions for their contact with insects and influence on insect behavior． To further explore the phenomenon and mechanism of microorganisms influencing insect behaviors...

Mutualisms, such as the ones between ants and aphids, evolve and persist when benefits outweigh the costs from the interactions between the partners. We show here that the trail pheromone of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, can enhance these benefits by suppressing aphid dispersal and stimulating their reproduction. The ant’s mutualis...

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) play important roles in the insect nervous system. These receptors are G protein-coupled receptors, which are potential targets for insecticide development. While the investigation of pharmacological properties of insect mAChRs is growing, the physiological roles of the receptor subtype remain largely ind...

Volatile molecules produced by the microbiota play a primary role in chemical communication between insects1, and direct production of pheromone components by the microbiota is one of the most obvious mechanisms2. Here, we investigated the production of male-borne sex pheromones of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis. As observed in previou...

In recent decades, a growing body of literature has indicated that microbial symbionts of insects can modulate their hosts' chemical profiles and mate choice decisions. However, there is currently little direct evidence indicate that insect pheromones can be produced by symbionts. Using Bactrocera dorsalis as a model system, we demonstrate that Bac...