Current and future global distribution of the peach twig borer, Anarsia lineatella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) George Amaro, Cesar Augusto Marchioro, Ricardo Siqueira da Silva, Elisangela Gomes Fidelis Agricultural and Forest Entomology, 2026 Biological invasions and climate change are key drivers of biodiversity redistribution, leading to severe environmental, economic, and public health consequences. This issue is particularly problematic for insect pests, which often expand their distribution via transportation with commodities. The peach twig borer, Anarsia lineatella Zeller, exemplifies an agricultural pest with a primarily restricted distribution that expanded its range to other regions. This study used species distribution modelling to predict the distribution of A. lineatella under current and future climate conditions. The model was developed using the Maxent algorithm, following best practices and recommendations for species distribution modelling. The optimized model exhibited strong statistical performance, effectively identifying suitable areas for the species (TSS = 0.76, AUC = 0.91; CBI = 0.89). It predicted suitable areas beyond the pest's current distribution, encompassing countries in the Neotropical region, northern and sub‐Saharan Africa, northeastern Asia, and southeastern and southwestern Australia. Under climate change scenarios, the model projected an expansion of A. lineatella 's range, especially under the high greenhouse gas emissions scenario (SSP5‐8.5) for 2041 to 2060. In this scenario, the model estimated an increase of up to 14% in areas classified as optimal and 52% in areas with a high probability of occurrence, with the expansion primarily concentrated in eastern Europe. The results provide valuable insights into the potential distribution of A. lineatella , aiding in the prioritisation of regions for monitoring and adopting preventive measures against this pest.
Life history and host-plant resistance of Blissus pulchellus (Hemiptera: Blissidae) on key Urochloa forages Paula D. De Paulo, Mayara S. Messias, Giovanna R. L. de Sousa, Kamila C. da Silva, Elisangela G. Fidelis Revista Brasileira De Entomologia, 2026 Insect pest attacks on pasture areas adversely impact Brazilian livestock. At present, livestock farmers encounter challenges in managing pests, notably chinch bugs of the genus Blissus (Hemiptera: Blissidae), which have emerged as a substantial threat to pastures in Brazil. A notable gap exists in research on this insect group. This study examines the life history of Blissus pulchellus across various economically relevant forage crops in Brazil. We investigated the life history of B. pulchellus in four forage species: Urochloa humidicola cv. Humidicola; Urochloa ruziziensis cv. Ruziziensis; Urochloa humidicola cv. Llanero, and Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu. The plants were infested in vivo with newly emerged pairs (up to 48 h). Pairs were isolated in clip cages, and specific parameters, such as fecundity and fertility, were assessed daily until the females died. Newly hatched nymphs were placed individually on in vivo plants to evaluate the development time, and the sex ratio was analyzed following the emergence of adults. Fecundity (number of eggs per female) was significantly influenced by the forage species. The number of eggs laid per female was significantly higher on U. humidicola cv. Humidicola and U. ruziziensis cv. Ruziziensis, whereas the nymph development time was significantly shorter on U. humidicola cv. Humidicola and U. ruzizizensis cv. Ruziziensis. Our study showed that the life history parameters of B. pulchellus were significantly affected by forage species. Assessing the influence of this insect on prospective hosts is anticipated to enhance future forage breeding initiatives.
Defensive compounds of Blissus pulchellus (Hemiptera: Blissidae) as a barrier against infection by entomopathogenic fungi Isis Carolina Souto Oliveira, Maria Carolina Blassioli‐Moraes, Caio Augusto Rosado Torres, Giancarlo Catafesta, Elisangela Gomes Fidelis, et al. Physiological Entomology, 2025 Defensive secretions produced by certain hemipterans are known to deter natural enemies and play a crucial role in reducing microbial infections. In this study, we investigated the protective mechanisms of the chinch bug Blissus pulchellus against entomopathogenic fungi and we explored the relationship between the major volatile compounds produced by B. pulchellus and their potential role in enhancing its resilience to disease. Both adults and nymphs exhibited low susceptibility to infection by various strains of Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana . The close and continuous contact of conidia with antimicrobial substances on the insect's integument significantly inhibited germination rates. Conidia washed from insects after 4 h of contact with their integument exhibited germination rates of less than 20% on culture media. Chemical analyses of body extracts from adults and nymphs revealed both qualitative and quantitative differences in their defensive compound profiles. Our findings suggest that the aldehydes are the primary compounds responsible for fungal inhibition, effectively protecting the insect from infection. Identifying fungal strains capable of overcoming the fungitoxic compounds produced by B. pulchellus is crucial for advancing mycopesticide development to manage chinch bug populations in pastures.
