Current status and future of applied entomology in Taiwan

Kuang-Hui Lu 한국응용곤충학회 2011 한국응용곤충학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2011 No.05

Taiwan is an island located in the south-east of China (20°30"N, 121°00"E), and the Tropic of Cancer runs through the middle of the island. Total area of Taiwan is about 36,000 sq. km with 394 km long and 144 km wide at its broadest point. The mountain ranges occupy almost half of the island, more than 200 peaks elevate over 3000 m, and the tallest peak is Yu-Shan (Jade Mountain) with 3952 m. In general, Taiwan has a marine climate and varies widely by season in the Northern part and the mountain areas however, in the South, it belongs to the tropical belt and is warm and humid all year. These diverse climate patterns create the extreme diversity of insects in Taiwan, of course including all kinds of insect pests. Here, I try to make a brief introduction to how we study and control in insect pests in Taiwan. Entomological research related government organizations Mainly, two government departments, i.e., the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), are in charge of insect pest-relatedstudy and control in Taiwan. Both are the major providers of research funding to support study on all aspects of applied entomology; however, the former is responsible for control of animal and plant diseases and pests and plant health inspection and quarantine (agriculture entomology); however, the latter is responsible for prevention, control, survey and research of various communicable diseases that are mostly related with the public health (medical entomology).Besides, the National Science Council (NSC) provides funding mainly for basic research. Entomology study in Universities and Research institutes There are only two “Department of Entomology” in Taiwan, one is at the National Taiwan University, and the other is at the National Chung University. In addition, there are two plant protection related departments as well, i.e., “Department of Plant Medical Science, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology” in Pingtung County and “Department of Biological Resources, National Chiayi University” in Chiayi County. Besides teaching, all aspects of entomology-related research projects are held as well. Additionally, there are many entomologists scattered in different university, especially in medical schools for medical entomological research. Under the Council of Agriculture (COA), there are several agriculture research institutes are responsible for agriculture research including insect pest control (applied entomology), such as (1) Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) and its experimental branches: the key agricultural research institute in Taiwan, (2) Taiwan Agricultural Chemicals and Toxic Substance Research Institute (TACTRI): the institute is responsible for developing pesticides and plant protection technologies, monitoring pesticide residues and toxic substances in agricultural products, providing technical services, and establishing evaluation methods and guidelines to control pesticides, and (3) seven “District Agricultural Research and Extension Stations” located in Taoyuan, Miaoli, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Hualien and Taitung Districts, respectively. These Stations are responsible for the research and extension works which are according to the regional difference, as well as (4) Endemic Species Research Institute and (5) Taiwan Forestry Research Institute. Current status and future of applied entomology in Taiwan All aspects of the entomological research are going in Taiwan, and there is no way to clearly introduce all of them; therefore, only main directions are highlighted as the following: (1) In agriculture a. Key targeted species- oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)), melon fly (B. cucurbitae Coquillett), common cutworm (Spodoptera litura (Fabricius)), and……..etc. b. Control methods i. Chemical control- it still is the key method currently. ii. Nonchemical control- attractants (pheromones), natural enemy, microbial control,……..etc. c. Insect vectors on transmission of plant diseases. d. New technique- use of wireless sensor network (WSN) technology to monitor the insect population. (2) In public health- medical insects a. Key targeted species- Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, and…..etc. b. Important issues i. Insect-borne diseases- e.g. Dengue fever ii. Zoonotic diseases- e.g. Japanese encephalitis iii. Nuisance insects- e.g. biting midge (Forcipomyia taiwana) c. Control methods: similar to (1) b. (3) Prevention, invasion and control of exotic insect pests a. Plant quarantine inspection- application of molecular biotechnology, such as PCR and microarray, to detection and identification insect species. b. Invasion and control of the imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, and the erythrina gall wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae. (4) Insect biodiversity and conservation a. Conservation species of insects in Taiwan b. Firefly restoration (5) Application of biotechnology on insects a. Use of insect as bioreactors to produce useful proteins. b. Use of transgenic insect to control insect pests.

Cloning and expression of a JHA-inducible glutathione S-transferase gene in the common cutworm Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Ming-Cheng Wu,Kuang-Hui Lu 한국응용곤충학회 2014 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.17 No.3

The juvenile hormone titer during the last instar is a crucial determining switch for metamorphosis inlepidopterans.Wepreviously observed that the induction of glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity by a juvenilehormone analog (JHA) is reversely proportional to the occurrence of JHA-induced supernumerary instarsfollowing topical application of JHA to Spodoptera litura during the last instar period. In this paper, at least fiveJHA-induced GSTs were purified by glutathione-affinity chromatography, and one was further isolated fordetermination of the N-terminal sequence. The corresponding cDNA was cloned and named SlGST1 (GenBankaccession no. AY506545). SlGST1 was classified into the epsilon class of GSTs by phylogenetic analysis. Northernblot analyses further showed that the SlGST1 in fat bodies can be induced by JHA, particularly in 0-day-old sixthinstarlarvae, in which induction was much higher than that in 1- and 2-day-old sixth-instar larvae. To ourknowledge, this is the first JHA-inducible GST to have been identified, and we believe that it will provide newinsight into the role of GST in insect development, particularly during metamorphosis.

Transgenesis of the Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)

Shiu-Lin Chell,Cheng Chang,Kuang-Hui Lu 한국응용곤충학회 2005 한국응용곤충학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2005 No.05

Antifungal effect and chitinase activities of the froth of spittlebug Poophilus costalis (Walker) (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea: Aphrophoridae)

Shu-Chen Chang,Hsien-Tzung Shih,Kuang-Hui Lu 한국응용곤충학회 2019 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.22 No.1

Nymphs of xylophagous spittlebug Poophilus costalis (Walker, 1851) produce froth that covers their entire body surface. However, no mold has ever been found on this froth under natural conditions. This study has shown that the froth of P. costalis can repress the growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi. Three chitinases, i.e., β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, chitobiosidase, and endochitinase, with specific activities of 1.759, 0.365, and 1.172 U/mg protein, respectively, and a protease with minimal activity have been detected in this froth. β-N-actylglucosaminidase activity was also detected in the source of the froth, the nymphal Malpighian tubules and the host plant Commelina diffusa Burm. f. These findings suggest that the antifungal effect of the froth from P. costalis may be attributed to the chitinase produced by its Malpighian tubules and/or its host plant.

A Novel Guanylyl Cyclase Receptor, BdmGC-l is Highly Expressed during the Development of the Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)

Jer-Cherng Chang,Ruey-Bing Yang,Yu-Hua Chen,Kuang-Hui Lu 한국응용곤충학회 2005 한국응용곤충학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2005 No.05