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Journal of Integrative Agriculture
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Sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid cross generational inhibit the reproductive capacity, feeding efficiency, and immune function of Therioaphis trifolii (Monell)

Kaihui Zhu1,2, Chi Wu2, Haoyang Hao2, Xu Liu2, Dejun Li2, Shaodan Wang2, Chunmei Yang2, Zehua Zhang3, Yu Duan4, Zihua Zhao1#, Xiongbing Tu2#

1 Department of Plant Biosecurity, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China

2 State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China

3 Western Agricultural Research Center of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinjiang, 830000, China

4 Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Science, Shenyang 110000, China

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摘要  吡虫啉作为防治苜蓿彩斑蚜(Therioaphis trifolii)等牧草害虫的常用杀虫剂,其亚致死剂量对该害虫的跨代效应尚未得到充分研究。本研究首先通过毒力测定确定吡虫啉对苜蓿斑蚜的亚致死浓度,随后采用生命表构建、转录组测序、取食效率评估及免疫功能测定等试验方法,系统探究当F0和F1代苜蓿斑蚜个体暴露于亚致死浓度吡虫啉后对F2代苜蓿斑蚜个体产生的多重生物学效应。 毒理学实验结果表明,0.1 mg L-¹与0.5 mg L-¹浓度的吡虫啉处理对苜蓿斑蚜单代个体的存活率及繁殖率均未产生显著影响。然而,当F0和F1代苜蓿斑蚜持续暴露于0.5 mg L⁻¹吡虫啉后,F2代苜蓿斑蚜种群表现以下生物学效应:与对照组相比,其内禀增长率降低23.4%,单雌产卵量减少38.2%;取食行为试验显示,与对照组相比,处理组72小时内苜蓿斑蚜蜜露分泌量下降36.7%;生理生化检测表明,与对照组相比,处理组虫体脂肪酸含量降低30.5%;血淋巴免疫应答实验证实,该处理组个体对外源细菌(大肠杆菌)和真菌(绿僵菌)挑战的免疫防御能力显著受损。 本研究首次系统揭示了亚致死浓度吡虫啉对苜蓿斑蚜的跨代效应。研究结果表明,吡虫啉亚致死浓度可通过跨世代作用显著抑制苜蓿彩斑蚜的繁殖能力、取食效率及免疫功能。该发现为牧草害虫综合防治体系中吡虫啉的科学施用提供了重要的理论依据。

Abstract  

The application of imidacloprid insecticides for the management of forage grass pests, such as Therioaphis trifolii, is a widely adopted practice; however, the transgenerational impacts of sublethal doses of imidacloprid on T. trifolii remain largely unexplored. This research initially employed toxicity assessments to identify sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid in T. trifolii. Following this, a series of experiments—including life table analysis, transcriptome sequencing, evaluations of feeding efficiency, and assessments of immune capacity—were conducted to elucidate the diverse effects on the F2 generation of T. trifolii resulting from exposure to sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid in the F0 and F1 generations. Toxicity testing experiments revealed that exposure to imidacloprid at concentrations of 0.1 mg/L and 0.5 mg/L did not significantly impact the survival and reproductive rates of a single generation of T. trifolii. When both F0 and F1 generations T. trifolii were subjected to a concentration of 0.5 mg/L imidacloprid, a notable decline in the intrinsic growth rate and reproductive capacity of F2 generation T. trifolii was observed in comparison to the control treatment group. Honeydew secretion during feeding decreased by 36.7% within a 72-hour period. Fatty acid content decreased by 30.5%. And there was a significant impairment of hemolymph immune response to exogenous bacterial and fungal challenges. This study represented the inaugural investigation into the transgenerational impacts of sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid on T. trifolii. The findings of our study indicate that sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid cross generational inhibit the reproductive capacity, feeding efficiency, and immune function of T. trifolii. This research offers important insights for enhancing the application strategies of imidacloprid within the framework of integrated pest management for forage crops.

Keywords:  Therioaphis trifolii       imidacloprid, fecundity              transgenerational              feeding efficiency              immune ability  
Online: 30 June 2025  
Fund: 

The authors thank the editors and reviewers for all their constructive comments on the work in this article. This research was Supported by the earmarked fund for CARS (CARS-34). 

Cite this article: 

Kaihui Zhu, Chi Wu, Haoyang Hao, Xu Liu, Dejun Li, Shaodan Wang, Chunmei Yang, Zehua Zhang, Yu Duan, Zihua Zhao, Xiongbing Tu. 2025. Sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid cross generational inhibit the reproductive capacity, feeding efficiency, and immune function of Therioaphis trifolii (Monell). Journal of Integrative Agriculture, Doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.06.027

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