The bean bug is one of major hemipteran pests against the soybean, Glycine max in Korea. Gene expression regulation technologies such as RNA interference and gene editing have emerged as a next generation pest control strategy in agriculture. To search genes effective to feeding inhibition with exogenous dsRNA, a total of 26,761 transcripts were obtained from salivary glands of the bean bug and several target gene candidates such as GPCR, OBP, and CSP were profiled in this study. On the other hand, 1st instar nymphs of the bean bug after hatching were highly attracted to water and absorbed about 701.5 ± 137.72 ㎍/individual/day, suggesting that it could be a practical way for RNA interference by feeding exogenous dsRNA dissolved in water. These preliminary results are expected to be helpful to investigate novel pest control strategy of R. pedestris in the future.

Beauvericin (BEA) is a cyclohexadepsipeptide produced by the fungus Beauveria bassiana. And it has been reported to have very effective anti-cancer activity. However, the mechanistic studies of BEA on cytotoxicity on cancer cells have not been fully understood. In this study, we examined the cytotoxicity of BEA on the C6 (rat glioma cell line). The cell viabilities of C6 cells, MDA-MB 231 (breast cancer cell line), and HeLa (cervical cancer cell line) were decreased by treatment of BEA. In addition, BEA-treated cells showed membrane blebbings and buddings, which indicates that BEA decreased cell viability by inducing apoptosis. Additionally, we found that the level of apoptosis inducing molecules such as caspase 3, caspase 9 of BEA treated cells was increased and apoptosis regulating molecules (Bcl-2) was decreased. We also found that the activated STAT3 and Src was decreased in BEA-treated condition. In further study, we are going to find out how the BEA can influence Src kinase activity.

Ostrinia zaguliaevi (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) causes serious damage to pods and stems of the red bean, Vigna angularis, during the second half of the reproductive developmental stage. The temperature-dependent development studies of O. zaguliaevi were performed at several constant temperatures ranging from 7℃ to 36℃ in the laboratory, in the purpose of making temperature-dependent development models in the future. Eggs and larvae of O. zaguliaevi could not develop at lower temperatures of 7~13℃. As the temperature increased, the developmental period of the immature stage decreased. The number of larval instar was variable from 5 to 8, depending on temperature. The minimum number of larval instar was observed at only 25℃. Some larvae of colonies maintained at 16~22℃ showed highly longer developmental period. At relatively higher temperatures, 34℃ and 36℃, the larval developmental rates were not slowed down, and the larval survival rates was relatively high, above 60%. The egg mortality was relatively high at 36℃. Using these temperature-dependent development data of O. zaguliaevi, preliminary linear regression equations were estimated to look for a relationship between temperature and developmental rate in egg and larval stages.

The legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) causes serious damage to some legume crops of genus Vigna and Sesbania in Korea. In the current study, laboratory studies on the temperature-dependent development of the insect were performed at 8 constant temperatures ranging from 13℃ to 34℃ at 3℃ intervals. Lower developmental threshold (LDT) for eggs, larvae, and pupae were calculated as 10.0, 12.5 and 13.3℃, respectively, using the linear-regression equations of the developmental rates. Degree-days required to complete a stage were estimated as 48, 187, and 94, for egg, larval, and pupal stages, respectively. The larvae couldn't survive at 13 and 16℃, and the larval survival rate was the highest at 28℃. The egg hatching rate was the lowest at 13℃. In the adult stage, the pre-oviposition period was the shortest at 22℃, and the total egg number was the most with ca. 500 at 25℃. Degree-days for the stages of 1st-4th larval instars, egg, and adult emergence-50% oviposition were calculated during the reproductive development season of red bean using single sine method and Suwon weather station data based on LDTs, respectively. Finally, the adult occurrence time was estimated after the degree-days were cumulated reversely from the distribution data of larval stages observed in a red bean field

The Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis, over-winters as the last instar larva in Suwon and undergoes diapause during the over-wintering, and it has been postulated that most of the over-wintering larvae be originated from the larvae of 2nd and 3rd generation (Jung et al., 2008). The over-wintered larvae pupate next year and 50% of emerged adults occur by the early June. In order to know whether the emergence has synchronism among over-wintering larvae regardless of the time entering into diapause or not, neonate larvae were reared on artificial diet at two-week intervals from May 28 to Sep. 28, 2008 in an outside condition and their emergence dates were recorded. The over-wintering larvae occurred from the colony treated at Jul. 20, 2007, and totally emerged from May 11 to Jul. 6, 2008. The 50% date of cumulative emergence was June 3, 2008. The maximum success of over-wintering occurred in the colony treated at Aug. 17, whereas any non-over-wintering larvae were not observed from the following colonies. Although the durations of emergence overlapped partially among the colonies treated at different times in the previous year to show a synchronism at some extent, the first and last colonies treated in the previous year showed a pattern of fast emergence. This result suggested that the duration necessary for diapause termination be different according to the time entering into diapause.