Ze-Yang Sun

Open access Aug 2026

Metabolomics reveals thermal adaptation of the parasitoid wasp Chouioia cunea via resource conservation and thermoprotection.

BACKGROUND Temperature fluctuations threaten the efficacy of parasitoid wasps used in biological control. Understanding the metabolic basis of thermal adaptation can guide optimized rearing and field release strategies. This study integrated behavioral ecology with untargeted metabolomics (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)) to investigate how Chouioia cunea, a pupal parasitoid of the fall webworm Hyphantria cunea, copes with temperature stress. RESULTS Behavioral assays revealed a distinct thermal preference for 21.3-24.2 °C. Low temperature (18 °C) prolonged development (42.6 days) but increased offspring per host (49 000 wasps), whereas high temperature (29 °C) accelerated development (13.7 days) at the cost of reduced adult longevity. Metabolomic profiling showed directionally specific reprogramming: cold induced depletion of amino acids and membrane lipids; heat triggered accumulation of thermoprotectants (trehalose, mannitol, dulcitol) and specific amino acids (arginine, threonine). Pathway enrichment identified the aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathway as a core conserved response under both stresses. CONCLUSION Chouioia cunea employs distinct metabolic strategies: resource conservation under cold and thermoprotection under heat. These strategies underpin the temperature-dependent life-history trade-offs observed in this study. From a pest management perspective, maintaining rearing temperatures within 23-25 °C balances colony productivity and wasp quality; prolonged exposure above 28 °C should be avoided; and low-temperature rearing can be used strategically for colony expansion. The identified stress-responsive metabolites may serve as early quality markers for mass-reared colonies. These findings advance our understanding of metabolic plasticity in beneficial insects and support climate-smart biological control. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

L. Pan, Yiping Hu, Guangyan Qin et al. · Pest Management Science · 0 citations

#protein folding Open access Sep 2026

Integrated Time-Series Biochemical, Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses Reveal Key Pathways and Concentration-Dependent Transitions in Chironomid Larvae (Propsilocerus akamusi) Under Chlorantraniliprole Stress

Simple Summary Chironomids are among the most abundant and diverse freshwater insects, and are valued as pollution indicators and as key components of aquatic food webs. The widespread use of pesticides in agriculture has raised serious concerns about their effects on these aquatic organisms. To address this, we studied how a common insecticide, chlorantraniliprole (CAP), at environmentally relevant concentrations, affected chironomid larvae. Our findings showed that low doses of CAP triggered protective mechanisms in the larvae, such as detoxification and protein repair systems, to cope with stress. However, higher doses overwhelmed these defenses, disrupting energy production and causing severe cellular stress that ultimately led to death. We identified a key protein, PaHsp70, that was essential for larval survival under insecticide exposure. When its expression was significantly reduced, the larvae became more vulnerable. These findings reveal the adaptive strategies of chironomids to cope with pesticide stress from the environment, and highlight the urgent need to protect these animals and their freshwater habitats from agricultural pollution.

Jia-Ni Li, Wei Chen, Jian Mao et al. · Animals · 0 citations