About Book

Insects are involved in virtually every part of our lives; they are pests that eat our food, our houses, our animals and are vectors that spread sickness and disease. But insects are not all bad! Many insects are beneficial pollinators, decomposers of dead materials, and useful in the biocontrol of unwanted pests. The scientific classification of an insect is an animal that has segmented body parts. Entomology is the scientific study of insects. In the past the term "insect" was more imprecise, and historically the definition of entomology included to study of terrestrial animals in other arthropod groups or other phyla, such as arachnids, myriapods, earthworms, land snails, and slugs. Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life. This means it forms a synthesis of other disciplines, and draws on techniques from fields such as cell biology, bioinformatics, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, genetics, evolution and ecology. This book attempts to understand the multiple topics that fall under the discipline of entomology and how such concepts have practical applications and effects in the ecosystem. It focuses on RNAi in insects, insecticides, prophylactic, simulation model, biotechnological approaches, pest control and aedes aegypti. It also deals with controlling insect eggs, insect immunity and parasitism. It picks up individual branches and explains their need and contribution in the context of the growth of this area. It also explains the various practices that highlight the conservation of the environment. Coherent flow of topics, student-friendly language and extensive use of examples make this book an invaluable source of knowledge.

Preface............................................................................................................v

Chapter 1 Introductory Chapter: Parasitology and Parasitism Areas of Knowledge That Must Be Constantly Studied...................................1

1. Parasitology and parasitism................................................................1

2. Globalization in the life of the human being: another reason to

investigate parasitology.......................................................................4

Chapter 2 Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Insect Immunity...............7

Abstract...................................................................................................7

1. Introduction............................................................................................7

2. The inducible humoral response.......................................................9

3. Receptors sensing infections.............................................................19

4. The cellular response..........................................................................23

5. Antivirus insect response..................................................................27

6. Conclusion............................................................................................31

Acknowledgements.............................................................................32

Chapter 3 Complications with Controlling Insect Eggs.....................................50

Abstract.................................................................................................50

1. Introduction..........................................................................................50

2. Insect eggshell morphology..............................................................51

3. Respiration and water conservation of insect eggs......................55

4. Insect egg management.....................................................................57

5. Insecticide resistance in insect eggs................................................61

Chapter 4 Companion Planting and Insect Pest Control...................................67

1. Introduction..........................................................................................67

2. Companions that disrupt host location by pests.........................69

3. Plants that enhance conservation biological control....................79

4. Constraints and challenges...............................................................82

5. Conclusions..........................................................................................84

Chapter 5 Biotechnological Approaches for the Control of Insect Pests in

Crop Plants ..............................................................................................101

1. Introduction ......................................................................................101

2. The use of genetically modified plants for control of lepidopteran

insects .................................................................................................109

3. Protease inhibitors for the control of insect pests ....................113

4. Summary ...........................................................................................125

Chapter 6 Development of an Individual-Based Simulation Model for

the Spread of Citrus Greening Disease by the Vector Insect

Diaphorina citri ......................................................................................150

1. Introduction ......................................................................................150

2. The model .........................................................................................152

3. HLB disease-spread simulation using the model .....................159

4. Conclusion .........................................................................................164

5. Acknowledgment .............................................................................164

Chapter 7 Development of a Prophylactic Butyrylcholinesterase Bioscavenger

to Protect Against Insecticide Toxicity Using a Homologous

Macaque Model.......................................................................................169

1. Introduction........................................................................................169

2. Production of tetrameric and monomeric forms of rMaBChE and

rHuBChE.............................................................................................171

3. In vitro biological properties of rMaBChE..................................173

4. In vivo testing of rBChE..................................................................175

Chapter 8 Differential Efficacy of Insecticides According to Crop Growth: The

Citrus Psyllid on Citrus Plants ..........................................................197

1. Introduction ......................................................................................197

2. Experiments on the control of psyllids by insecticides ...........199

3. Conclusion .......................................................................................215

4. Acknowledgment .............................................................................216

Chapter 9 Development of RNAi in Insects and RNAi-Based Pest

Control .....................................................................................................219

1. Introduction ......................................................................................219

2. Study on the function of insect genes using RNAi methods .220

3. Internal diffusion of RNAi molecules within insect body.......223

4. Methodology of dsRNA uptake in insects .................................225

5. RNAi-based pest control.................................................................228

6. Conclusion .........................................................................................229

7. Acknowledgements .........................................................................229

Chapter 10 Current Status of the Insecticide Resistance in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) from Mexico.......................................................235

Abstract...............................................................................................235

1. Introduction........................................................................................236

2. Study area...........................................................................................236

3. The situation of dengue and Chikungunya fever in Mexico...237

4. Vector control in Mexico.................................................................238

5. Insecticide resistance in Ae. aegypti —

A threat to its control......................................................................238

6. Conclusions........................................................................................241

Chapter 11 Current Status: Mexican Medicinal Plants with Insecticidal Potential ...................................................................................................248

1. Introduction........................................................................................248

2. Botanic pesticide................................................................................249

3. Modes and sites of action...............................................................252

4. Pesticide compounds........................................................................256

5. Mexican medicinal plants................................................................257

6. Ethnobotanical study of Mexican medicinal plants with insecticide

potential..............................................................................................259

7. Studies of insect pests of agricultural importance.....................259

Citation......................................................................................................283

Index...........................................................................................................285

About Author

Kelvin Kanwal pursued his Ph.D. in Entomology from the Public University of Science, Ganja. He serves as a Guest Lecturer at Public Research University, Haifa and has also been presented the “Teacher of the Year” award. Kanwal is on the editorial board of several renowned zoology and developmental biology journals and has edited over 150 technical papers and eight reference books. He has also been a keynote speaker at numerous international conferences. He also works as a freelance researcher and science editor.