Variation in biological parameters of cypermethrin resistant and susceptible strains of Helicoverpa armigera from Benin Republic, West Africa

The aim of this survey was to assess the costs of cypermethrin resistance in Helicoverpa armigera strains by using variation in their biological parameters such as fecundity, number of larval slough, development time, weight and survival at each stage of insect development in comparison with susceptible strains. AGB01 and AGB03 are the resistant strains compared respectively with BK77 and OKP01 as susceptible strains. Fecundity, fertility and survival from egg to adult emergence of AGB03 strain were significantly (P < 0.001) lower than those observed in OKP01 strain. No difference (P > 0.05) was observed with time of pre-adult development, survival at each stage of insect development, fecundity and number of larval slough in comparison with AGB01 and BK77 strains. Larvae of AGB01 strain took significantly (P < 0.01) longer time to develop and were significantly (P < 0.01) lighter than BK77 at the same age, but the slower development of larvae of AGB01 strain was counteracted by the shorter times of egg and pupae stages. The lower fecundity, fertility and survival from egg to adult emergence should represent the main costs for the AGB03 strain resistant to cypermethrin.Keywords: Cypermethrin resistance, resistance cost, fecundity, fertility, development tim

Mitochondrial DNA and trade data support multiple origins of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) in Brazil

The Old World bollworm Helicoverpa armigera is now established in Brazil but efforts to identify incursion origin(s) and pathway(s) have met with limited success due to the patchiness of available data. Using international agricultural/horticultural commodity trade data and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene markers, we inferred the origins and incursion pathways into Brazil. We detected 20 mtDNA haplotypes from six Brazilian states, eight of which were new to our 97 global COI-Cyt b haplotype database. Direct sequence matches indicated five Brazilian haplotypes had Asian, African, and European origins. We identified 45 parsimoniously informative sites and multiple substitutions per site within the concatenated (945 bp) nucleotide dataset, implying that probabilistic phylogenetic analysis methods are needed. High diversity and signatures of uniquely shared haplotypes with diverse localities combined with the trade data suggested multiple incursions and introduction origins in Brazil. Increasing agricultural/horticultural trade activities between the Old and New Worlds represents a significant biosecurity risk factor. Identifying pest origins will enable resistance profiling that reflects countries of origin to be included when developing a resistance management strategy, while identifying incursion pathways will improve biosecurity protocols and risk analysis at biosecurity hotspots including national ports