Shubhangi, 3rd year SoCoBio DTP student, is delighted to share news of her contribution to a publication titled “Adult Diel Locomotor Behaviour in the Agricultural Pest Plutella xylostella Reflects Temperature-Driven and Light-Repressed Regulation Rather than Coupling to Circadian Clock Gene Rhythms”. The publication, an output from SPITFIRE NERC Doctoral Training Partnership, provides novel insights into the behavioural patterns of the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), a significant agricultural pest.

The research highlights how temperature and light conditions, rather than circadian clock gene rhythms, regulate the locomotor activity of adult Plutella xylostella. These findings challenge traditional assumptions about circadian regulation in insects and could have implications for developing pest management strategies that target behavioural vulnerabilities.

Shubhangi’s contribution to the study focused on the Diel Locomotor Activity Behaviour of Individual P. xylostella Males in Response to Temperature Cycles in Constant Light or Constant Dark Conditions. The findings revealed that significant diel rhythmicity was observed in constant dark (D/D) conditions with a gradually ramping 14–22°C temperature cycle, while no such rhythmicity was detected in constant light (L/L). Locomotor activity was strongly suppressed in constant white light, and residual activity did not exhibit diel rhythmicity for most adult male moths. However, in D/D conditions, increased activity was associated with the 12-hour phases surrounding peak temperature and rising temperature intervals.

Further analyses indicated that P. xylostella locomotor activity is influenced by light-mediated repression, temperature modulation, and homeostatic regulation, rather than circadian clock control. The study also suggests that the species’ behavioural patterns may be adapted to avoid predation under light conditions and respond dynamically to environmental cues. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how temperature and light independently shape insect behaviour, with potential applications in pest management strategies.

Read the full study here: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16020182