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Locusts and other migratory grasshoppers are transboundary pests. Monitoring and control, therefore, involve a complex system made up of social, ecological, and technological factors. Researchers and those involved in active management are calling for more integration between these siloed but often interrelated sectors. In this paper, we bring together 38 coauthors from six continents and 34 unique organizations, representing much of the social-ecological-technological system (SETS) related to grasshopper and locust management and research around the globe, to introduce current topics of interest and review recent advancements. Together, the paper explores the relationships, strengths, and weaknesses of the organizations responsible for the management of major locust-affected regions. The authors cover topics spanning humanities, social science, and the history of locust biological research and offer insights and approaches for the future of collaborative sustainable locust management. These perspectives will help support sustainable locust management, which still faces immense challenges such as fluctuations in funding, focus, isolated agendas, trust, communication, transparency, pesticide use, and environmental and human health standards. Arizona State University launched the Global Locust Initiative (GLI) in 2018 as a response to some of these challenges. The GLI welcomes individuals with interests in locusts and grasshoppers, transboundary pests, integrated pest management, landscape-level processes, food security, and/or cross-sectoral initiatives.

BACKGROUND: As part of efforts to more fully understand the potential risks posed by West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) in the UK, and following on from previous reports of a potential bridge vector Culex modestus for these viruses, at wetland sites in North Kent, mosquito surveillance was undertaken more widely across the Isle of Sheppey, the Hoo Peninsula and the Kent mainland. METHODS: Larval surveys were conducted and Mosquito Magnet® adult traps were used to collect adult mosquitoes. Pools of female mosquitoes were tested for the presence of WNV using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. A subset of samples was tested for USUV. RESULTS: Culex modestus was found in both the pre-imaginal and imago stage at all five locations surveyed, accounting for 90% of adult mosquitoes collected. WNV or USUV were not detected in any sample. CONCLUSIONS: Although no mosquitoes have been shown to be virus positive, the field survey data from this study demonstrated the dominance of an important bridge vector species for WNV in this region. Its wide geographical distribution highlights the need to update risk assessments on WNV introduction, and to maintain vigilance for WNV in the South East of England.

The metabolic adaptations by which phloem-feeding insects counteract plant defense compounds are poorly known. Two-component plant defenses, such as glucosinolates, consist of a glucosylated protoxin that is activated by a glycoside hydrolase upon plant damage. Phloem-feeding herbivores are not generally believed to be negatively impacted by two-component defenses due to their slender piercing-sucking mouthparts, which minimize plant damage. However, here we document that glucosinolates are indeed activated during feeding by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci . This phloem feeder was also found to detoxify the majority of the glucosinolates it ingests by the stereoselective addition of glucose moieties, which prevents hydrolytic activation of these defense compounds. Glucosylation of glucosinolates in B. tabaci was accomplished via a transglucosidation mechanism, and two glycoside hydrolase family 13 (GH13) enzymes were shown to catalyze these reactions. This detoxification reaction was also found in a range of other phloem-feeding herbivores. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci defends against plant glucosinolate toxins by serial addition of glucose moieties catalyzed by a pair of glycoside hydrolases, preventing toxin activation during feeding on the plant tissue.

The cabbage whitefly, Aleyrodes proletella, has in recent years become a primary pest of several brassica crops in Europe. In the UK, its greatest impact has been on kale, where nymphs, wax deposits and sooty mould caused by honeydew excretion reduce the marketable portion of the crop, particularly later in the year. In order to test the contribution of insecticide resistance to these outbreaks, a leaf-dip bioassay method was developed. Resistance to several pyrethroids was found in multiple populations in Lincolnshire and Kent, with similar patterns between compounds but differing magnitudes of resistance. This resistance was expressed to a similar degree by both adults and nymphs. The host plant used in bioassays influenced lethal concentrations but not resistance factors. A diagnostic concentration of lambda-cyhalothrin was identified and used to screen further populations over successive years. No cross-resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides was evident in highly pyrethroid-resistant populations. Bioassays with the synergist piperonyl butoxide provided no evidence of mixed-function oxidase or associated nonspecific esterase involvement in pyrethroid resistance. Attempts to sequence the sodium channel gene of susceptible and resistant whiteflies to check for target-site resistance were unsuccessful. Field surveys of whitefly populations on wild cabbage were carried out to identify candidate native biological control agents for use in IPM strategies in field crops. These identified several parasitoid wasps and a coccinellid beetle, Clitostethus arcuatus. One of the parasitoids, Encarsia tricolor, and C. arcuatus were successfully cultured at NRI and tested in outdoor cage trials. In 2011, a multiple generation trial demonstrated the superiority of parasitoid release during the development of the first generation of whiteflies over later releases of E. tricolor or C. arcuatus. A Horticultural Development Company funded field trial in 2012 showed that insecticide application early in a whitefly infestation could provide prolonged control equivalent to regular spraying. This research will contribute to the development of future integrated pest IV management programmes for A. proletella through avoiding ineffective pyrethroid applications, facilitating insecticide resistance management and identifying non-chemical approaches.

Locusts and other migratory grasshoppers are transboundary pests. Monitoring and control, therefore, involve a complex system made up of social, ecological, and technological factors. Researchers and those involved in active management are calling for more integration between these siloed but often interrelated sectors. In this paper, we bring together 38 coauthors from six continents and 34 unique organizations, representing much of the social -ecological -technological system (SETS) related to grasshopper and locust management and research around the globe, to introduce current topics of interest and review recent advancements. Together, the paper explores the relationships, strengths, and weaknesses of the organizations responsible for the management of major locust -affected regions. The authors cover topics spanning humanities, social science, and the history of locust biological research and offer insights and approaches for the future of collaborative sustainable locust management. These perspectives will help support sustainable locust management, which still faces immense challenges such as fluctuations in funding, focus, isolated agendas, trust, communication, transparency, pesticide use, and environmental and human health standards. Arizona State University launched the Global Locust Initiative (GLI) in 2018 as a response to some of these challenges. The GLI welcomes individuals with interests in locusts and grasshoppers, transboundary pests, integrated pest management, landscape -level processes, food security, and/or cross-sectoral initiatives.