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Polyethylene microplastics inhibit the growth and reproduction of Colorado potato beetle and the predation efficiency of Stinkbug
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Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics transferred through potato plants affect the Colorado potato beetle and its natural predator, the stinkbug. They found that microplastic exposure inhibited the growth and reproduction of the beetles, but also reduced the predation efficiency of stinkbugs. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural ecosystems could disrupt both pest populations and the natural enemies that help control them.
Microplastics, as an environmental pollutant, are receiving increasing attention due to their ubiquitous presence in ecosystems and their ability to transfer and accumulate through food chains. Although it is well known that microplastics can enter plants through nutrient and water uptake by plant roots, the effects of microplastics on the growth, development and predation efficiency of herbivorous insects and predatory natural enemies after transfer from plants are still lacking. In order to investigate the impacts of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) on the growth, reproduction of herbivorous insects and the predation efficiency of their predatory natural enemies, the quarantine pest globally - Leptinotarsa decemlineata and its predatory natural enemy - the Arma chinensis were selected as the research objects. Constructed a transfer system of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) soil - potato plants - L. decemlineata and PE-MPs feed - Tenebrio molitor - A. chinensis. The key attention is paid to the reproduction, growth, and development of the L. decemlineata, as well as changes in the predation behavior and ability of A. chinensis against the L. decemlineata. We found that PE-MPs treatment reduced the egg production of adult L. decemlineata, prolonged their developmental time, and decreased their survival rate. Additionally, it extended the resting time, searching time, paralyzing time, and the latent period of A. chinensis, while decreasing the predation amount of A. chinensis on L. decemlineata larvae. Although the effects of PE-MPs on the growth and reproduction of L. decemlineata and the predatory efficiency of armpit A. chinensis were limited, our study still revealed the adverse effects of PE-MPs on phytophagous pests and predatory natural enemies. Finally, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain uncertain, necessitating further research to assess whether microplastics have potential long-term impacts on interactions between herbivorous insects and their predatory enemies. Collectively, these studies provide new insights into the effects of microplastics on herbivorous insects and predatory natural enemies.
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An emerging risk to pest biocontrol: Polyethylene microplastic affects the efficacy of Arma chinensis and Beauveria bassiana against Hyphantria cunea
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Scientists found that microplastic pollution disrupts nature's own pest control system: it weakens beneficial predator insects that eat crop-damaging pests, while actually helping a pest-killing fungus work better. This matters because farmers rely on these natural predators instead of chemical pesticides, so as microplastics build up in soil and plants, our food system's natural defenses against pests could become less effective—potentially leading to more crop damage or increased pesticide use.
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This study examined how polyethylene microplastics interact with heavy metals in soil and found that microplastics significantly reduced plant growth while altering soil enzyme activity and microbial communities. The combination of microplastics and heavy metals disrupted nutrient cycling in the soil in ways that were different from either pollutant alone. These findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could affect crop nutrition and food production.
Toxicological impacts of microplastics on virulence, reproduction and physiological process of entomopathogenic nematodes
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This study found that polystyrene microplastics are toxic to beneficial soil nematodes that naturally control insect pests in agriculture. The microplastics reduced the nematodes' survival, reproduction, and ability to kill pest insects, with smaller particles and higher concentrations causing the most damage. This matters because losing these natural pest controllers could lead to increased pesticide use, creating a cycle of more chemical contamination in the soil and food supply.
Microplastics alter soil enzyme activities and microbial community structure without negatively affecting plant growth in an agroecosystem
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Researchers tested how three types of microplastics (polystyrene, polyethylene, and PVC) affected plant growth, soil enzymes, and microbial communities in an agricultural setting. The study found that while microplastics suppressed several soil enzyme activities and altered carbon cycling, they did not negatively affect plant growth and in some cases actually enhanced above-ground and below-ground plant productivity.
Microplastics alter toxicity of the insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis to chironomid larvae in different ways depending on particle size
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Researchers tested the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and the biological insecticide Bti on aquatic midge larvae over 21 days. They found that while microplastics alone did not affect larval survival, they modified the toxicity of Bti in a size-dependent manner, with smaller particles reducing Bti toxicity and larger particles increasing it. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems could alter the effectiveness of biological pest control agents.
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