Browsing by Author "Varun Arya"

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A simple PCR-based quick detection of the economically important oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) from India
(Frontiers Media SA, 2024) Varun Arya; Srinivasa Narayana; Twinke Sinha; Aravindaram Kandan; Samantapudi Venkata Satyanarayana Raju
The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), is a significant economic and quarantine pest due to its polyphagous nature. The accurate identification of B. dorsalis is challenging at the egg, maggot, and pupal stages, due to lack of distinct morphological characters and its similarity to other fruit flies. Adult identification requires specialized taxonomist. Existing identification methods are laborious, time consuming, and expensive. Rapid and precise identification is crucial for timely management. By analyzing the variations in the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase-1 gene sequence (Insect barcoding gene), we developed a species-specific primer (SSP), DorFP1/DorRP1, for accurate identification of B. dorsalis. The optimal annealing temperature for the SSP was determined to be 66°C, with no cross-amplification or primer-dimer formation observed. The SSP was validated with B. dorsalis specimens from various locations in northern and eastern India and tested for cross-specificity with six other economically significant fruit fly species in India. The primer specificity was further confirmed by the analysis of critical threshold (Ct) value from a qPCR assay. Sensitivity analysis showed the primer could detect template DNA concentrations as low as 1 pg/µl, though sensitivity decreased at lower concentrations. Sequencing of the SSP-amplified product revealed over >99% similarity with existing B. dorsalis sequences in the NCBI GenBank. The developed SSP reliably identifies B. dorsalis across all developmental stages and sexes. This assay is expected to significantly impact pest identification, phytosanitary measures, and eradication programs for B. dorsalis. Copyright © 2024 Arya, Narayana, Sinha, Kandan and Satyanarayana Raju.
Bacterial community of brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) revealed by high throughput amplicon sequencing
(Horizon e-Publishing Group, 2025) Saniya Tyagi; Narayana Srinivasa; Rajendra Nath Singh; Varun Arya
The bacterial symbionts of brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), a key sucking insect pest of rice in India and Asia, have been known to play many important physiological functions. Reports of yeast-like symbionts of N. lugens are widely known, but little is known about the bacterial microbes. In this study, the bacterial community structure and diversity were examined in N. Lugens collected from four major rice-growing regions of India utilizing culture-independent high throughput sequencing. The Mi seq technology identified a total of 1277 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) representing 4 phyla mainly (Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes) by analyzing 16S rDNA gene libraries. The major microbial groups were similar in the four samples, but their distribution patterns were different, especially in Raichur. While the top three bacterial genera linked to Imphal, Pantnagar and Raichur were Methylobacterium, Sphingomonas and Acinetobacter; Wolbachia accounted for 87.46 % of the total genera found in Raipur. The identified dominant microbial groups have been known for their crucial role in insect’s life cycle. Diversity analysis tests revealed Raichur has the highest species diversity as determined by the high Shannon and Simpson index. According to ACE and Chao1 diversity estimates, Pantnagar has the highest species richness. Understanding the bacterial communities and studying their functional roles will help in formulating biological control strategies specific to this sucking pest. © The Author(s).
Better concentration of cue-lure and sticky trap combination for monitoring and mass trapping of melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett)
(Horizon e-Publishing Group, 2025) Prem Chaudhary; Varun Arya; Narayana Srinivasa; Parmanand Kumar Maurya
Fruit fly species (family: Tephritidae) are a major pest of cucurbits, leading to a significant reduction in the crop yields. Among all species infesting cucurbits, Zeugodacus cucurbitae is the major pest. Both monitoring and mass trapping of Z. cucurbitae heavily rely on ‘male annihilation technique, using cue-lure (CL) male attractant-based traps embedded with killing agents/pesticides. To evaluate the effectiveness of CL concentrations in combination with different traps against Z. cucurbitae, the following field study was conducted in a sponge gourd field during the 2023 zaid season. Among all treatments, the highest mean weekly trap catches of Z. cucurbitae (fly captures per trap per week, FTW) were recorded with 25 % CL combined with blue sticky traps (10.16 ± 0.99). Seasonal incidence studies revealed that the population exhibited fluctuations, peaking at 9.80 ± 1.29 FTW during the 17th Standard Meteorological Week (SMW), followed by a decline with occasional secondary peaks during the 20th and 27th SMW. Correlation analysis between the population and weather parameters indicated significant negative correlations with minimum temperature (r = -0.666, p = 0.004) and wind speed (r = -0.604, p = 0.013) at 5 % level of significance. These factors accounted for 44.4 % and 36.5 % of the population fluctuation, respectively. Collectively, all weather parameters influenced the population to an extent of 60.3 %. The present study provides a pesticide-free approach for the management of the melon fruit fly, after considering all the weather factors influencing the results. © The Author(s).
Bugs for benefits: Harnessing the nutritional and environmental potential of edible insects for human consumption
(Nova Science Publishers Inc., 2025) Ramkumar; Sunaullah Bhat; Vinay Kumar; Manisha Chaudhary; Krishna Kant Prajapati; Varun Arya; Ram Kewal; Ashish Kumar Singh
The importance of finding hygienic food became a topic of discussion after COVID-19 was classified as a worldwide pandemic by the WHO. Human beings have consumed insects as a source of food, especially protein, since ancient times, and now they're getting more attention as a possible food source. An edible insect could become an environmentally friendly, sustainable source of protein in the future. Chitosan, a polysaccharide derivative of insect chitin and silk fibroin (produced by Bombyx mori), a high-quality protein, is used in various industries, viz., agriculture and biomedicine. The natural lustrous properties of silk fibres have made it a highly valuable product in the textile industry. Honeybee workers are considered master chemists, and their products have been utilised by humans for various purposes. Honey is the best natural sweetener as well as an excellent source of energy for humans, while beeswax is used for its moisture-proof properties. Pollen and bee venom also have therapeutic properties that can be used to treat various inflammatory conditions. Lac, a natural resin produced by a type of insect, is another material that has a wide range of applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and many industrial uses for surface coatings. Lac culture, the process of cultivating these insects, is a sustainable and environmentally friendly way of obtaining this valuable material. Overall, using insect by-products and insects themselves has the potential to provide sustainable solutions to global food shortages and various industries. © 2025 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Comparative efficacy of bottle and sticky traps baited with cue-lure for sustainable suppression of melon fruit fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett)
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2025) Varun Arya; Narayana Srinivasa
The melon fruit fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), is a key pest infesting cucurbit crops in India, causing severe yield losses. Management of this pest is complex due to larvae feeding inside the fruit and increasing insecticide resistance. This study aimed to evaluate the optimum cue-lure concentration and compare the performance of bottle traps versus sticky traps for fruit fly suppression. Field experiments were carried out during the kharif seasons of 2023 and 2024 in a sponge gourd field in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Treatments included various cue-lure concentrations combined with bottle, yellow, and blue sticky traps. Statistical analysis showed that bottle traps with 95% cue-lure were the most effective in attracting fruit flies, while the 6:4 (alcohol:cue-lure) ratio provided nearly equivalent trapping efficiency. Bottle traps consistently outperformed sticky traps, and yellow sticky traps caught significantly more flies than blue ones. The results suggest that sticky traps can serve as chemical-free alternatives suitable for organic farming. The study recommends using cue-lure-baited bottle traps at a density of 10–15 traps per acre for mass trapping and replacing sticky traps every two weeks during key crop stages. These approaches offer cost-effective solutions for small-scale farmers and promote sustainable fruit fly management. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Development of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for accurate and rapid identification of Spodoptera frugiperda in maize from India
(Akademiai Kiado ZRt., 2024) Twinkle Sinha; Srinivasa Narayana; Varun Arya; Aravindaram Kandan; Samantapudi Venkata Satyanarayana Raju; Ipsita Samal
The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is an invasive and serious polyphagous crop pest that damages around 353 plants belonging to 72 plant families around the world. It has a global distribution and serious pest status around the world. Identification of this pest at early instar is difficult due to morphological similarity with other Spodoptera spp. For the control and management of this pest, rapid identification method is required. We developed a novel and rapid assay based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) utilizing mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I gene (COX I). The species-specific primers for S. frugiperda were designed, and the LAMP specificity was cross-checked with five other closely related species of moths and found that only S. frugiperda yielded positive results among others within 45 min at 65℃. The LAMP sensitivity test showed that the lowest concentration of genomic DNA required for this assay is 100 fg, much less than compared to normal polymerase chain reaction where 1 ng is required. This assay can be performed on any heating block without the use of visualization on an agarose gel-based method. Further, validation using simple DNA extraction protocols proved that our developed primers will identify species within 30 min and are suitable for on-spot field detection. Here a new cost-effective, rapid and highly sensitive method is represented, which is very useful for the detection of invasive pests in quarantine stations as well as for improving pest management strategies in agriculture fields toward sustainable crop production. © Akadémiai Kiadó Zrt. 2023.
Diagnosis, taxonomic keys, DNA barcoding and molecular phylogeny of economically important fruit fly species (Diptera;Tephritidae)
(Springer Nature, 2024) Vishrutha Chandrashekhar; Varun Arya; Karamakodu Jacob David; Srinivasa Narayana
Fruit flies pose significant threats to horticultural crops, causing considerable production loss domestically and holding global importance as quarantine pests. Accurate identification is crucial for effective management and regulation of these pests. Hence, this study sought to explore species diversity and characterize fruit flies using both molecular and morphological approaches across different regions of Uttar Pradesh (UP) state in India. Fruit flies were captured using different parapheromone-based bottle traps containing methyl eugenol and cue-lure as male attractants, as well as fruit-based baits, over a period of 11 weeks. Nine fruit fly species were recorded, namely Bactrocera dorsalis, B. correcta, B. divenderi, B. digressa, B. zonata, Zeugodacus cucurbitae, Z. tau, Z. caudatus, and Z. duplicatus and their identities were confirmed through morphological examination and DNA barcoding. B. divenderi was recorded for the first time from the state UP. B. divenderi and Z. duplicatus barcodes were submitted for the first time to the NCBI database. All the nine species were diagnosed and taxonomic keys were provided for identification. The study of fruit fly diversity and abundance indicated lesser fruit fly diversity in the study area. The COI genes found to be suitable for identification of fruit flies without ambiguity. The pairwise genetic distance is also calculated for the fruit fly species described. The maximum likelihood tree depicts two different clades for Zeugodacus and Bactrocera which is similar to the results of pairwise genetic distance. This documentation of species diversity provides valuable insights for future research and aids in monitoring the distribution of fruit flies, including potential invasive species. © African Association of Insect Scientists 2024.
DNA barcoding of fruit flies associated with cucurbit ecosystem and combination of Cue-Lure and Methyl Eugenol in trap is not effective for mass trapping of responsive fruit flies
(Springer Science and Business Media B.V., 2022) Varun Arya; Srinivasa Narayana; Saniya Tyagi; Samantapudi Venkata Satyanarayana Raju; Chandra Prakash Srivastava; Twinkle Sinha; Pratap Divekar
Fruit flies are key pests of vegetable crops, particularly cucurbits. Depending on the fruit fly species, the parapheromone, cue-lure (CL) or methyl eugenol (ME) is used in traps for monitoring and mass trapping. Many species of fruit flies belong to the genus Bactrocera and Zeugodacus which infest cucurbits and are responsive to CL and ME. Preparation and application of individual lures of CL and ME is uneconomical and laborious. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to document fruit flies associated with the cucurbit ecosystem, their diversity using CL and ME baited traps and to study the feasibility of combination of CL and ME in the trap for mass trapping of responsive fruit flies. Six species of fruit flies were found to be associated with the cucurbit ecosystem, viz., Zeugodacus cucurbitae, Z. tau, Bactrocera dorsalis, B. zonata, B. digressa and B. correcta. These species were identified using taxonomic keys and DNA barcoding. Bactrocera digressa was recorded for the first time from Uttar Pradesh (India) and it is also attractive to both CL and ME. The mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I barcodes of B. digressa are novel to India. Though six species were collected in the lures, it was Z. cucurbitae and Z. tau that actually infested cucurbits, ascertained from fruit fly emergence from infested cucurbits, indicating the seriousness of pests. The population of Z. cucurbitae and B. dorsalis was found to be more in CL (p = 0.03308) and ME (p = 0.0159) respectively than in the ME/CL combination. The study thus indicated that the combined use of lures, CL and ME in single trap significantly reduces the trap catches of responsive fruit flies. The phylogenetic analysis revealed two distinct clades, i.e., one for fruit flies responsive to CL and another one for ME. Our findings are anticipated to have significant implications for pest identification, monitoring and management. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.