The authors wish to acknowledge support from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Research Fellowships for Young Scientists [Grant Number 19J13123 and 21J00895].

1. Insect collection and mass rearing
<ol>
	<li>Collect tortricid insects from fields following previously published References8,12. 
	NOTE:&#160;H. magnanima and A. honmai larvae are collected from damaged tea leaves (Figure 1A); adults are attracted using 4 W portable UV light (365 nm wavelength, see Table of Materials, Figure 1B).</li>
	<li>Rear the collected larvae (Figure 1C,D) individually on a piece of artificial diet in a 1/2-oz cup for 2-3 weeks until adult eclosion (Figure 1E,F). Confirm the sex of pupae and adults by morphological traits (Figure 1G,I).</li>
	<li>Mate the males and females in a plastic box (30 cm x 20 cm x 5 cm) to oviposit egg masses on a paraffin paper (Figure 1J-L). Place a female and two males in a 120 mL plastic cup with a piece of paraffin paper to establish a matriline. 
	NOTE: It is important to make creases on the paraffin paper. For H. magnanima, paraffin paper needs to be on the bottom of the case. Meanwhile, for A. honmai, put a paper on the case ceiling to collect eggs (Figure 1L) since H. magnanima oviposit egg mass on the upper side of tea leaves, but A. honmai lays eggs on the underside of the leaves8. The procedures were also verified in other tortricid species, and it is better to place papers on both sides if the ecology and behavior of the target species are unclarified.</li>
	<li>Cut out the egg masses (approximately 100-200 eggs per egg mass12, Figure 1M) on the paraffin paper with scissors. Place the eggs in a 1/2 oz cup with dumped paper for 5-7 days. 
	NOTE: The matured embryo exhibits a blackhead capsule (Figure 1N). The periods of embryogenesis are diversely attributed to tortricid species, but generally 5 days post oviposition (dpo) for H. magnanima and 4 dpo for A. honmai at 25 &#176;C with 60% relative humidity, 16 h light/8 h dark cycles7.</li>
	<li>Store the egg masses showing black head capsules at 4-8 &#176;C for 7 days.</li>
	<li>Slice ~60 g artificial diets using a grater for mass rearing. Place the egg mass filled with matured embryos on the sliced artificial diet in a plastic container (23 cm x 16 cm x 8 cm). Place paraffin papers on the egg mass with the sliced diets (Figure 10). 
	NOTE: Below 30% relative humidity is considered over dry, while over 70% is too humid. Creating holes on the plastic container&#39;s lid is better to enable better ventilation. Fill the holes with cotton to prevent the escapes of small larvae.</li>
	<li>To eliminate surface contaminants from the eggs, soak the egg mass into 3% formalin and 0.2% Benzalkonium chloride solution for 5 min, respectively12. To eradicate gut or intracellular bacteria, utilize an artificial diet supplemented with 0.05% (w/w) Tetracycline hydrochloride or 0.06% (w/w) rifampicin instead of a normal artificial diet (see Table of Materials). 
	NOTE: This step is optional. It is important to knead Silk Mate 2S and 0.05% (w/w) Tetracycline hydrochloride or 0.06% (w/w) rifampicin equably for consistency.</li>
	<li>Collect the pupae from the plastic container and distinguish the sex based on morphological12 characteristics (Figure 1G-I). 
	NOTE: Generally, tortricids present 5-6 instars until pupation12. The H. magnanima and A. honmai larvae take 3 weeks and 2 weeks, respectively, after hatching until pupation.</li>
	<li>Place 15 males and 10 females in a plastic box (30 cm x 20 cm x 5 cm, Figure 1K) for mating with 25 &#176;C, 16 L/8 D. Collect eggs per 5-7 days and repeat steps 1.4-1.9. for each generation. 
	&#8203;NOTE: If collecting newly oviposited egg masses for subsequent analysis is needed, set the dark period&#39;s start and end, e.g., from 9 AM to 5 PM. In this condition, H. magnanima and A. honami usually oviposit eggs after 5 h (2 PM).</li>
</ol>
2. Separation of eggs and pharate larvae from egg masses for fixation, permeabilization, and staining
<ol>
	<li>Soak the egg mass into 1,000 &#181;L of 1.2% sodium hypochlorite aqueous solution for 10 min or into 1,000 &#181;L of 5 M potassium hydroxide aqueous solution for 30 min to separate the eggs.</li>
	<li>Wash the separated eggs in 1,000 &#181;L of PBSt (137 mM NaCl, 8.1 mM Na2HPO4, 2.68 mM KCl, 1.47 mM KH2PO4, 0.05% of Polyoxyethylene (20) Sorbitan Monolaurate [Tween-20] pH 7.4, see Table of Materials) following the previously published report7.</li>
	<li>Soak eggs in a mixture of 500 &#181;L of 100% heptane and 500 &#181;L of 4% paraformaldehyde-PBSt solution (w/v). Mix for 10 min at 1,500 rpm using a vortex mixer.</li>
	<li>Soak the eggs into a mixture of 500 &#181;L of 100% heptane and 500 &#181;L of 100% methanol. Mix for 10 min at 1,500 rpm.</li>
	<li>Wash the eggs twice with 1,000 &#181;L of 100% methanol and store at 4 &#176;C in 100% methanol until further experiments (Figure 2A). 
	NOTE: The eggs can be stored for at least 1 year at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Soak the eggs sequentially in 99%, 70%, 50% ethanol, and PBSt for 5 min each for hydrophilization following the previously published report7.</li>
	<li>Wash the eggs with PBSt, immerse the eggs in 1 &#181;g/mL of DAPI solution for 5 min, and then wash the eggs with 1x PBS twice. Soak the eggs in 20 &#181;L of 1.25% (w/w) lactic-acetic orcein solution (see Table of Materials)11 to visualize heterochromatin until the nuclei exhibit a brilliant red color (this varies from 5-60 min) (Figure 2B,C). 
	NOTE: The lactic-acetic orcein staining periods depend on temperature and humidity. It is better to check for proper staining using a microscope with 4x-10x magnification.</li>
	<li>Transfer the stained eggs using a pipette to a glass slide. Enclose the stained eggs with antifade reagent (see Table of Materials) and a cover glass7.</li>
	<li>Extract pharate H. magnanima and A. honmai larvae (4-5 days post oviposition (dpo)) from the egg masses using forceps (Figure 2D). Bisect larvae on a glass slide (Figure 2E).</li>
	<li>Fix any tissues (e.g., suboesophageal ganglion, thoracic ganglia, malpighian tubule, etc.) with a mixture of 1:3 (v/v) 99.7% acetic acid/100% methanol for 5 min. Stain those with 1.25% (w/w) lactic-acetic orcein solution11 until the nuclei are stained (this can take 5-60 min, depending on the temperature and humidity).</li>
	<li>Determine the sex of each specimen by observing the presence (female) or absence (male) of heterochromatin (the W chromosome, Figure 2F,G) under a microscope. 
	&#8203;NOTE: The sex is determined by visualizing the sex chromatin. Each cell represents the sex chromatin as a dot in females11,12, while the remaining portion of pharate larval tissues (not fixed) should be immediately immersed in cell lysis buffer12 (10 mM Tris-HCl, 100 mM EDTA, and 1% SDS, pH 8.0) or phenol-containing RNA extraction reagents for either DNA or RNA extraction. Before the dissections, dispense 20 &#956;L of the reagents into 0.2 mL PCR tubes in advance (Figure 3A). Immerse and store samples at -80 &#176;C until further extraction. The samples can be stored for at least 3 months, but it is better to proceed with the downstream experiments to prevent the degradation of nucleic acids.</li>
</ol>
3. DNA and RNA extractions from sex determined pharate larvae
<ol>
	<li>Pool 12 sex-determined male or female pharate larvae (5 dpo embryo) and add either cell lysis buffer or RNA extraction reagents (see step 2.11 and Table of Materials) into one 1.5 mL tube. 
	NOTE: Follow steps 3.2-3.7 for DNA extraction and steps 3.8-3.11 for RNA extraction.</li>
	<li>Homogenize tissues in 600 &#956;L of the cell lysis buffer (10 mM Tris-HCl, 100 mM EDTA, and 1% SDS, pH 8.0), and centrifuge the samples at 10,000 x g for 5 min at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Collect the supernatant (500 &#956;L) using a pipette and incubate at 50 &#176;C with 1.5 &#181;L of Proteinase K (20 mg/mL, see Table of Materials) for 5 h on a heat block.</li>
	<li>Treat the samples with 1.0 &#956;L of 10 mg/mL of RNase solution (see Table of Materials) at 37 &#176;C for 30 min.</li>
	<li>Add 200 &#956;L of protein precipitation solution (see Table of Materials) to the tubes7, followed by a centrifuge at 17,000 x g for 10 min at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Mix the supernatant (500 &#956;L) with 500 &#956;L of 100% isopropanol, and then centrifuge at 20,400 x g for 10 min at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Wash the pelleted DNA twice with 1,000 &#956;L of 70% ethanol. Then, air-dry (5-10 min at room temperature), dissolve the DNA in 30 &#956;L of 10 mM Tris-Cl buffer (pH 8.5).</li>
	<li>Homogenize the tissues in 600 &#956;L of RNA extraction reagents and add 240 &#956;L of ultra-pure distilled water to the tube. Centrifuge the tubes at 12,000 x g for 15 min at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Mix the supernatant (600 &#956;L) with 600 &#956;L of 100% isopropanol and transfer the mixture to a silica spin column (see Table of Materials). Centrifuge the tubes at 17,900 x g for 1 min at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Wash the column with 750 &#956;L of 70% ethanol, and centrifuge the column twice at 17,900 x g for 1 min each at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Load 15 &#956;L of Ultra-pure distilled water to the column. Centrifuge the tubes at 17,900 x g for 1 min at 4 &#176;C to elute the RNA.</li>
	<li>Calculate and verify the quality and quantity of DNA and RNA using a UV-based spectrophotometer. Assess the purity of nucleic acids using the A260/A280 (Nucleic acids/protein) and A260/A230 (Nucleic acids/salts and other contaminants) ratios13. 
	NOTE: For RNA extraction, the previously published procedure12 was followed, which resulted in phenol contamination (Table 1). The extracted DNA and RNA from a single embryo or pharate larvae yields low-amount and low-quality samples. Typically, DNA extraction from 12 pharate larvae yields 100-600 ng, while RNA extraction using the current method generates 900-1,500 ng, as shown Table 1. 
	NOTE: Steps 3.13-3.15 are optional for further assays of high throughput sequencings.</li>
	<li>Calculate the amounts of DNA and RNA using a fluorescence-based spectrophotometer. 
	NOTE: The ratio of RNA quantities (UV-based concentration (ng/&#956;L)/fluorescence-based concentration (ng/&#956;L)) was calculated to assess the quality for further experimental application. For example, when UV and fluorescence-based concentrations are 80 ng/uL and 60 ng/uL, respectively, the ratio will be 1.5 (80/60). Usually, ratios under 1.5 indicate sufficient purity for downstream applications using high throughput sequencing13.</li>
	<li>Analyze the quality of RNA by using microchip electrophoresis14.</li>
	<li>Utilize the qualified RNAs to prepare the RNA library using an RNA library preparation kit (see Table of Materials). Sequence the libraries using a platform suitable for the prepared libraries.</li>
</ol>

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J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+magnitude+of+global+insect+species+richness.">The magnitude of global insect species richness.</a> Conservation Biology. 5 (3), 283-296 (1991).</li><li>Pogue, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+world+revision+of+the+genus+Spodoptera+Guen&#233;e+(Lepidoptera:+Noctuidae).">A world revision of the genus Spodoptera Guen&#233;e (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).</a> Memoirs of the American Entomological Society. 43, 1 (2002).</li><li>Matsuura, H., Naito, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Studies+on+the+cold-hardiness+and+overwintering+of+Spodoptera+litura+F.+(Lepidoptera:+Noctuidae):+VI.+Possible+overwintering+areas+predicted+from+meteorological+data+in+Japan.">Studies on the cold-hardiness and overwintering of Spodoptera litura F. 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The authors have nothing to disclose.

Tortricid comprises several agricultural and forestry pests; the present study presented methods to rear tortrix over generations, observe embryogenesis and sex of the insects, and conduct molecular analysis using matured embryos.
One of the obstacles for pest insect study is to establish rearing methods. Especially, inbreeding sometimes affect the fitness of the species negatively. The fitness reduction by the inbred, called inbreeding depression, has widely been observed in various plants an...

Lepidopteran insects represent more than 10% of all described living species1, and certain taxa species cause severe damage to plants and serious agricultural losses2,3. Although molecular and genetic studies have been developed using model insects such as the silkworm Bombyx mori4,5, pest insects remain uninvestigated, partly because of the difficulties for rearing and handling6,7. Therefore, fundamental studies and techniques are necessary to understand the biology of such non-model pest insects.
The Tortricidae (Lepidoptera), commonly known as tortrix or leafroller moths, comprises many agricultural and forestry pests8. Of the insect taxa, the oriental tea tortrix Homona magnanima Diakonoff and the summer fruit tortrix Adoxophyes honmai Yasuda are serious polyphagous pests known to damage tea trees in East Asia7. The two species lay flat and oval scale-like egg clusters (or egg masses) consisting of thin, soft, and fragile eggs covered by maternal secretions. Although embryogenesis stages are crucial for insect development and sex determinations9, structures of the eggs prevent further analysis from understanding the biology of the insects. It is important to overcome the difficulties for further study on pests ovipositing such complex egg mass.
Here, to understand the biology of tortricids, methods for mass rearing, observations, and molecular studies have been developed using A. honmai and H. magnanima. First, mass rearing methods maintain both tortricids over 100 generations by inbred. The separation of eggs from the concatenated scale-like egg mass facilitated embryogenesis observation of the tortricids using alkaline and organic solvents previously developed from techniques used in flies10. In addition, the present study established sex discrimination of small embryos by developing staining methods of the sex chromatin of lepidopteran females using lactic-acetic orcein11. By combining these methods, high quality and quantity nucleic acids were extracted from sex determined embryos, which was otherwise difficult to establish6. The extracted RNA was utilized for next-generation sequencing. Collectively, the methods presented here apply to other lepidopteran insects and other insect taxa.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>1/2 ounce cup</td>
			<td>FP CHUPA</td>
			<td>CP070009</td>
			<td>insect rearing; https://www.askul.co.jp/p/6010417/</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1/2 ounce cup lid</td>
			<td>FP CHUPA</td>
			<td>CP070011</td>
			<td>insect rearing; https://www.askul.co.jp/p/6010434/?int_id=recom_DtTogether</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>99.7% acetic acid</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co., Osaka, Japan</td>
			<td>36289</td>
			<td>fixation; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01ALF036289.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer</td>
			<td>Agilent Technologies</td>
			<td>not shown</td>
			<td>Nucleic acids quantification; https://www.agilent.com/en/product/automated-electrophoresis/bioanalyzer-systems/bioanalyzer-instrument</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Agilent RNA6000 nano kit</td>
			<td>Agilent Technologies</td>
			<td>5067-1511</td>
			<td>Nucleic acids quantification; https://www.agilent.com/cs/library/usermanuals/Public/G2938-90034_RNA6000Nano_KG 
			.pdf</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>benzalkonium chloride solution</td>
			<td>Nihon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>No.4987123116046</td>
			<td>Sterilization; https://www.nihon-pharm.co.jp/consumer/products/disinfection.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cotton</td>
			<td>AOUME</td>
			<td>8-1611-02</td>
			<td>insect rearing; https://item.rakuten.co.jp/athlete-med/10006937/?scid=af_pc_etc&#38;sc2id=af_113_0_1</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DAPI solution</td>
			<td>Dojindo, Tokyo, Japan</td>
			<td>340-07971</td>
			<td>stainings; https://www.dojindo.co.jp/products/D523/</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Disodium Hydrogenphosphate</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co.</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>Na2HPO4; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0119-0286.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>dsDNA HS quantification kit</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>Q33231</td>
			<td>Nucleic acids quantification; https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/Q33230?SID=srch-srp-Q33230</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Econospin RNA II column</td>
			<td>Epoch Life Science Inc.</td>
			<td>EP-11201</td>
			<td>RNA extraction; http://www.epochlifescience.com/Product/SpinColumn/minispin.aspx</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethanol</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co., Osaka, Japan</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>fixation; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0105-0045.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethylenediamine-N,N,N&#39;,N&#39;-tetraacetic Acid Tetrasodium Salt Tetrahydrate (4NA)</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co.</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>Cell lysis buffer (EDTA); https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01T02N003.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glassine paper</td>
			<td>HEIKO</td>
			<td>2100010</td>
			<td>insect rearing; https://www.monotaro.com/p/8927/0964/?utm_id=g_pla&#38; 
			utm_medium=cpc&#38;utm_source= 
			Adw</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>heat block WSC-2620 PowerBLOCK</td>
			<td>ATTO, Tokyo, Japan</td>
			<td>4002620</td>
			<td>incubation; https://www.attoeng.site/</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>heptane</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co., Osaka, Japan</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>fixation; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0108-0015.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>INSECTA LF</td>
			<td>Nosan Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>not shown</td>
			<td>Artificial diet; https://www.nosan.co.jp/business/fodder/ist.htm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ISOGENII</td>
			<td>Nippon Gene</td>
			<td>311-07361</td>
			<td>RNA extraction; https://www.nippongene.com/siyaku/product/extraction/isogen2/isogen2.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>isopropanol</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co.</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>nucleic acids extraction; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0232-0004.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Lactic acid</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co.</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>Stainings; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0112-0005.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>methanol</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co., Osaka, Japan</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>fixation; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0113-0182.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MSV-3500 vortex</td>
			<td>Biosan</td>
			<td>BS-010210-TAK</td>
			<td>Voltex mixer; https://biosan.lv/products/-msv-3500-multi-speed-vortex/</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nano Photometer NP 80</td>
			<td>Implen</td>
			<td>not shown</td>
			<td>Nucleic acids quantification; https://www.implen.de/product-page/implen-nanophotometer-np80-microvolume-cuvette-spectrophotometer/tech-specs/</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Natural pack wide</td>
			<td>Inomata chemical</td>
			<td>1859</td>
			<td>insect rearing; https://www.monotaro.com/g/03035766/?t.q=%E3%83%8A%E3%83%81%E3%83%A5%E3% 
			83%A9%E3%83%AB%E3%83%91% 
			E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%83% 
			AF%E3%82%A4%E3%83%89</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NEBNext Ultra II RNA Library Prep Kit for Illumina</td>
			<td>New England BioLabs</td>
			<td>E7770S</td>
			<td>Library preparation; https://www.nebj.jp/products/detail/2039</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>orcein</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co.</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>Stainings; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0115-0094.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Paraformaldehyde</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co.</td>
			<td>160-16061</td>
			<td>fixation; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0116-1606.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polyoxyethylene(20) Sorbitan Monolaurate</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co.</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>Tween-20; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0116-2121.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Portable UV Black Light (4W, 365nm wavelength)</td>
			<td>Southwalker Co., Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan</td>
			<td>not shown</td>
			<td>Insect collection; http://www.southwalker.com/shopping/?pid=1364614057-467328</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Potassium Chloride</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co.</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>KCl; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0116-0354.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co.</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>KH2PO4; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0116-0424.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ProLong Diamond Antifade Mountant</td>
			<td>Invitrogen, MA, USA</td>
			<td>P36965</td>
			<td>antifade; https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/P36965</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Proteinase K Solution</td>
			<td>Merck</td>
			<td>71049-4CN</td>
			<td>DNA extraction; https://www.merckmillipore.com/JP/ja/product/Proteinase-K-Solution-600-mAU-ml,EMD_BIO-71049</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>protein precipitation solution</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>158912</td>
			<td>DNA extraction; https://www.qiagen.com/us/products/discovery-and-translational-research/lab-essentials/buffers-reagents/puregene-accessories/?cmpid=PC_DA_NON_ 
			BIOCOMPARE_ProductListing_ 
			0121_RD_MarketPlace_ProductC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Qubit V4</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>Q33238</td>
			<td>Nucleic acids quantification; https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/Q33238</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>rifampicin</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co., Osaka, Japan</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>Sterilization; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0118-0100.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RNA HS quantification kit</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>Q32855</td>
			<td>Nucleic acids quantification; https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/Q32852</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RNase solution</td>
			<td>Nippon Gene</td>
			<td>313-01461</td>
			<td>RNA extraction; https://www.nippongene.com/siyaku/product/modifying-enzymes/rnase-a/rnase-s.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Silk Mate 2S</td>
			<td>Nosan Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>not shown</td>
			<td>Artificial diet; https://www.nosan.co.jp/business/fodder/ist.htm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Chloride</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co.</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>NaCl; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0119-0166.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co.</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>Cell lysis buffer (SDS); https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0119-1398.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sodium hypochlorite aqueous solution</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co., Osaka, Japan</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>egg separation; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0119-0220.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tetracycline Hydrochloride</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co., Osaka, Japan</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>Sterilization; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0120-1656.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris-HCl</td>
			<td>FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Co.</td>
			<td>4.98748E+12</td>
			<td>Cell lysis buffer; https://labchem-wako.fujifilm.com/jp/product/detail/W01W0120-1536.html</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ultra-pure distilled water</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>10977023</td>
			<td>RNA extraction; https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/10977015</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

mass-rearing and molecular studies in tortricidae pest insects

Tortricidae (Lepidoptera), commonly known as tortrix or leafroller moths, comprises many agricultural and forestry pests, which cause serious agricultural losses. To understand the biology of such pest moths, fundamental techniques have been in high demand. Here, methods for mass-rearing, observations, and molecular studies are developed using two tea tortrix, Homona magnanima and Adoxophyes honmai (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Insects were mass-reared with sliced artificial diet and maintained by inbreeding for over 100 generations by considering their biological characteristics. Insects have various sex dimorphisms; hence it is difficult to distinguish the sex during the developing stages, which have prevented subsequent assays. The present work highlighted that the sex of tortricids larvae could be determined by observing testes or lactic-acetic orcein staining to visualize the female-specific W chromosome. Moreover, using the sex determination methods, the present study enabled nucleic acid extractions from sex determined embryos and application toward high throughput sequencing. These tips are applicable for other pest insects and will facilitate further morphological and genetic studies.

Establishment of host lines and their maintenance 
The viability of field-collected larvae is differently attributed to field location, seasons, and rearing conditions (e.g., 90% of viability in Taiwan, Taoyuan, as shown in Arai et al.12). Approximately 30%-50% of pairs will generate the next generation as usual. For H. magnanima and A. honmai, matrilines have been maintained by inbreeding for over 100 generations.
Morphol...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Mass-Rearing and Molecular Studies in Tortricidae Pest Insects at JoVE.com

Mass-Rearing and Molecular Studies in Tortricidae Pest Insects

The present protocol describes the rearing method of tortricid pest insects in the laboratories. The procedures to distinguish insects' sex and extract nucleic acids for high throughput sequencing are established using two tortricid pests.

Tortricidae (Lepidoptera), commonly known as tortrix or leafroller moths, comprises many agricultural and forestry pests, which cause serious agricultural ...

mass-rearing-and-molecular-studies-in-tortricidae-pest-insects

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2.6K Views.  Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. The present protocol describes the rearing method of tortricid pest insects in the laboratories. The procedures to distinguish insects' sex and extract nucleic acids for high throughput sequencing are established using two tortricid pests.

Video: Mass-Rearing and Molecular Studies in Tortricidae Pest Insects

Application of Two-spotted Spider Mite Tetranychus urticae for Plant-pest Interaction Studies

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, is a ubiquitous polyphagous arthropod herbivore that feeds on a remarkably broad array of species, with more than 150 of economic value. It is a major pest of greenhouse crops, especially in Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae (e.g., tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini) and greenhouse ornamentals (e.g., roses, chrysanthemum, carnations), annual field crops (such as maize, cotton, soybean, and sugar beet), and in perennial cultures (alfalfa, strawberries, grapes, citruses, and plums)1,2. In addition to the extreme polyphagy that makes it an important agricultural pest, T. urticae has a tendency to develop resistance to a wide array of insecticides and acaricides that are used for its control3-7.
T. urticae is an excellent experimental organism, as it has a rapid life cycle (7 days at 27 &#176;C) and can be easily maintained at high density in the laboratory. Methods to assay gene expression (including in situ hybridization and antibody staining) and to inactivate expression of spider mite endogenous genes using RNA interference have been developed8-10. Recently, the whole genome sequence of T. urticae has been reported, creating an opportunity to develop this pest herbivore as a model organism with equivalent genomic resources that already exist in some of its host plants (Arabidopsis thaliana and the&#160;tomato Solanum lycopersicum)11. Together, these&#160;model organisms could provide insights into molecular bases of plant-pest interactions.
Here, an efficient method for quick and easy collection of a large number of adult female mites, their application on an experimental plant host, and the assessment of the plant damage due to spider mite feeding are described. The presented protocol enables fast and efficient collection of hundreds of individuals at any developmental stage (eggs, larvae, nymphs, adult males, and females) that can be used for subsequent experimental application.

Application of Two-spotted Spider Mite Tetranychus urticae for Plant-pest Interaction Studies

Protocols for efficient preparation of homogenous samples of spider mites, infestation of experimental plants, and assessment of plant damage, as required for studies of plant-pest interaction were developed.

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, is a ubiquitous polyphagous arthropod herbivore that feeds on a remarkably broad array of species, with ...

Physical, Chemical and Biological Characterization of Six Biochars Produced for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites

The physical and chemical properties of biochar vary based on feedstock sources and production conditions, making it possible to engineer biochars with specific functions (e.g. carbon sequestration, soil quality improvements, or contaminant sorption). In 2013, the International Biochar Initiative (IBI) made publically available their Standardized Product Definition and Product Testing Guidelines (Version 1.1) which set standards for physical and chemical characteristics for biochar. Six biochars made from three different feedstocks and at two temperatures were analyzed for characteristics related to their use as a soil amendment. The protocol describes analyses of the feedstocks and biochars and includes: cation exchange capacity (CEC), specific surface area (SSA), organic carbon (OC) and moisture percentage, pH, particle size distribution, and proximate and ultimate analysis. Also described in the protocol are the analyses of the feedstocks and biochars for contaminants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), metals and mercury as well as nutrients (phosphorous, nitrite and nitrate and ammonium as nitrogen). The protocol also includes the biological testing procedures, earthworm avoidance and germination assays. Based on the quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) results of blanks, duplicates, standards and reference materials, all methods were determined adequate for use with biochar and feedstock materials. All biochars and feedstocks were well within the criterion set by the IBI and there were little differences among biochars, except in the case of the biochar produced from construction waste materials. This biochar (referred to as Old biochar) was determined to have elevated levels of arsenic, chromium, copper, and lead, and failed the earthworm avoidance and germination assays. Based on these results, Old biochar would not be appropriate for use as a soil amendment for carbon sequestration, substrate quality improvements or remediation.

Biochar is a carbon-rich material used as a soil amendment with the ability to sustainably sequester carbon, improve substrate quality and sorb contaminants. This protocol describes the 17 analytical methods used for the characterization of biochar, which is required prior to large scale implementation of these amendments in the environment.

The physical and chemical properties of biochar vary based on feedstock sources and production conditions, making it possible to engineer biochars with ...

Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff

Urban stormwater and agriculture irrigation runoff contain a complex mixture of contaminants that are often toxic to adjacent receiving waters. Runoff may be treated with simple systems designed to promote sorption of contaminants to vegetation and soils and promote infiltration. Two example systems are described: a bioswale treatment system for urban stormwater treatment, and a vegetated drainage ditch for treating agriculture irrigation runoff. Both have similar attributes that reduce contaminant loading in runoff: vegetation that results in sorption of the contaminants to the soil and plant surfaces, and water infiltration. These systems may also include the integration of granulated activated carbon as a polishing step to remove residual contaminants. Implementation of these systems in agriculture and urban watersheds requires system monitoring to verify treatment efficacy. This includes chemical monitoring for specific contaminants responsible for toxicity. The current paper emphasizes monitoring of current use pesticides since these are responsible for surface water toxicity to aquatic invertebrates.

This article summarizes the design attributes and the effectiveness of treatment systems that treat urban stormwater and agriculture irrigation runoff to remove pesticides and other contaminants associated with aquatic toxicity.

Urban stormwater and agriculture irrigation runoff contain a complex mixture of contaminants that are often toxic to adjacent receiving waters. Runoff may ...

Methodology for Developing Life Tables for Sessile Insects in the Field Using the Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in Cotton As a Model System

Life tables provide a means of measuring the schedules of birth and death from populations over time. They also can be used to quantify the sources and rates of mortality in populations, which has a variety of applications in ecology, including agricultural ecosystems. Horizontal, or cohort-based, life tables provide for the most direct and accurate method of quantifying vital population rates because they follow a group of individuals in a population from birth to death. Here, protocols are presented for conducting and analyzing cohort-based life tables in the field that takes advantage of the sessile nature of the immature life stages of a global insect pest, Bemisia tabaci. Individual insects are located on the underside of cotton leaves and are marked by drawing a small circle around the insect with a non-toxic pen. This insect can then be observed repeatedly over time with the aid of hand lenses to measure development from one stage to the next and to identify stage-specific causes of death associated with natural and introduced mortality forces. Analyses explain how to correctly measure multiple mortality forces that act contemporaneously within each stage and how to use such data to provide meaningful population dynamic metrics. The method does not directly account for adult survival and reproduction, which limits inference to dynamics of immature stages. An example is presented that focused on measuring the impact of bottom-up (plant quality) and top-down (natural enemies) effects on the mortality dynamics of B. tabaci in the cotton system.

Methodology for Developing Life Tables for Sessile Insects in the Field Using the Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in Cotton As a Model System

Life tables allow quantification of the sources and rates of mortality in insect populations and contribute to understanding, predicting and manipulating population dynamics in agroecosystems. Methods for conducting and analyzing cohort-based life tables in the field for an insect with sessile immature life stages are presented.

Life tables provide a means of measuring the schedules of birth and death from populations over time. They also can be used to quantify the sources and ...

Procedures of Laboratory Fumigation for Pest Control with Nitric Oxide Gas

Nitric oxide (NO) is a newly discovered fumigant for postharvest pest control. This paper provides detailed protocols for conducting NO fumigation on fresh products and procedures for residue analysis and product quality evaluation. An airtight fumigation chamber containing fresh fruit and vegetables is first flushed with nitrogen (N2) to establish an ultralow oxygen (ULO) environment followed by injection of NO. The fumigation chamber is then kept at a low temperature of 2 - 5 &#176;C for a specified time period necessary to kill a target pest to complete a fumigation treatment. At the end of a fumigation treatment, the fumigation chamber is flushed with N2 to dilute NO prior to opening the chamber to ambient air to prevent the reaction between NO and O2, which produces NO2 and may damage delicate fresh products. At different times after NO fumigation, NO2 in headspace and nitrate and nitrite in liquid samples were measured as residues. Product quality was evaluated after 2 weeks of post-treatment cold storage to determine effects of NO fumigation on product quality. Keeping&#160;O2 from reacting with NO is critical to NO fumigation and is an important part of the protocols. Measuring NO levels is challenging and a practical solution is provided. Possible protocol modifications are also suggested for measuring NO levels in the fumigation chambers as well as residues. NO fumigation has the potential to be a practical alternative to methyl bromide fumigation for postharvest pest control on fresh and stored products. This publication is intended to assist other researchers in conducting NO fumigation research for postharvest pest control and accelerating the development of NO fumigation for practical applications.

This paper describes nitric oxide (NO) fumigation protocols for postharvest pest control. Fumigation chambers are flushed with nitrogen (N2) to establish ultralow oxygen conditions before NO is injected. At the end, chambers are flushed with N2 to dilute NO before exposing products to ambient air to prevent exposure to NO2.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a newly discovered fumigant for postharvest pest control. This paper provides detailed protocols for conducting NO fumigation on ...

Double-stranded RNA Oral Delivery Methods to Induce RNA Interference in Phloem and Plant-sap-feeding Hemipteran Insects

Phloem and plant sap feeding insects invade the integrity of crops and fruits to retrieve nutrients, in the process damaging food crops. Hemipteran insects account for a number of economically substantial pests of plants that cause damage to crops by feeding on phloem sap. The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) and the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) are hemipteran insect pests introduced in North America, where they are an invasive agricultural pest of high-value specialty, row, and staple crops and citrus fruits, as well as a nuisance pest when they aggregate indoors. Insecticide resistance in many species has led to the development of alternate methods of pest management strategies. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) is a gene silencing mechanism for functional genomic studies that has potential applications as a tool for the management of insect pests. Exogenously synthesized dsRNA or small interfering RNA (siRNA) can trigger highly efficient gene silencing through the degradation of endogenous RNA, which is homologous to that presented. Effective and environmental use of RNAi as molecular biopesticides for biocontrol of hemipteran insects requires the in vivo delivery of dsRNAs through feeding. Here we demonstrate methods for delivery of dsRNA to insects: loading of dsRNA into green beans by immersion, and absorbing of gene-specific dsRNA with oral delivery through ingestion. We have also outlined non-transgenic plant delivery approaches using foliar sprays, root drench, trunk injections as well as clay granules, all of which may be essential for sustained release of dsRNA. Efficient delivery by orally ingested dsRNA was confirmed as an effective dosage to induce a significant decrease in expression of targeted genes, such as juvenile hormone acid O-methyltransferase (JHAMT) and vitellogenin (Vg). These innovative methods represent strategies for delivery of dsRNA to use in crop protection and overcome environmental challenges for pest management.

This article demonstrates novel techniques developed for oral delivery of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) through the vascular tissues of plants for RNA interference (RNAi) in phloem sap feeding insects.

Phloem and plant sap feeding insects invade the integrity of crops and fruits to retrieve nutrients, in the process damaging food crops. Hemipteran ...

The Plant Infection Test: Spray and Wound-Mediated Inoculation with the Plant Pathogen Magnaporthe Grisea

Plants possess a powerful system to defend themselves against potential threats by pathogenic fungi. For agriculturally important plants, however, current measures to combat such pathogens have proved too conservative and, thus, not sufficiently effective, and they can potentially pose environmental risks. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to identify host-resistance factors to assist in controlling plant diseases naturally through the identification of resistant germplasm, the isolation and characterization of resistance genes, and the molecular breeding of resistant cultivars. In this regard, there is need to establish an accurate, rapid, and large-scale inoculation method to breed and develop plant resistance genes. The rice blast fungal pathogen Magnaporthe grisea causes severe disease symptoms and yield losses. Recently, M. grisea has emerged as a model organism for studying the mechanisms of plant-fungal pathogen interactions. Hence, we report the development of a plant virulence test method that is specific for M. grisea. This method provides for both spray inoculation with a conidial suspension and wounding inoculation with mycelium cubes or droplets of conidial suspension. The key step of the wounding inoculation method for detached rice leaves is to make wounds on plant leaves, which avoids any interference caused by host penetration resistance. This spray/wounding protocol contributes to the rapid, accurate, and large-scale screening of the pathotypes of M. grisea isolates. This integrated and systematic plant infection method will serve as an excellent starting point for gaining a broad perspective of issues in plant pathology.

The Plant Infection Test: Spray and Wound-Mediated Inoculation with the Plant Pathogen Magnaporthe Grisea

Here, we present a protocol to test plant virulence with the plant pathogen Magnaporthe grisea. This report will contribute to the large-scale screening of the pathotypes of fungi isolates and serve as an excellent starting point for understanding the resistant mechanisms of plants during molecular breeding.

Plants possess a powerful system to defend themselves against potential threats by pathogenic fungi. For agriculturally important plants, however, current ...

Harvesting Venom Toxins from Assassin Bugs and Other Heteropteran Insects

Heteropteran insects such as assassin bugs (Reduviidae) and giant water bugs (Belostomatidae) descended from a common predaceous and venomous ancestor, and the majority of extant heteropterans retain this trophic strategy. Some heteropterans have transitioned to feeding on vertebrate blood (such as the kissing bugs, Triatominae; and bed bugs, Cimicidae) while others have reverted to feeding on plants (most Pentatomomorpha). However, with the exception of saliva used by kissing bugs to facilitate blood-feeding, little is known about heteropteran venoms compared to the venoms of spiders, scorpions and snakes.
One obstacle to the characterization of heteropteran venom toxins is the structure and function of the venom/labial glands, which are both morphologically complex and perform multiple biological roles (defense, prey capture, and extra-oral digestion). In this article, we describe three methods we have successfully used to collect heteropteran venoms. First, we present electrostimulation as a convenient way to collect venom that is often lethal when injected into prey animals, and which obviates contamination by glandular tissue. Second, we show that gentle harassment of animals is sufficient to produce venom extrusion from the proboscis and/or venom spitting in some groups of heteropterans. Third, we describe methods to harvest venom toxins by dissection of anaesthetized animals to obtain the venom glands. This method is complementary to other methods, as it may allow harvesting of toxins from taxa in which electrostimulation and harassment are ineffective. These protocols will enable researchers to harvest toxins from heteropteran insects for structure-function characterization and possible applications in medicine and agriculture.

Although many insects in the suborder Heteroptera (Insecta: Hemiptera) are venomous, their venom composition and the functions of their venom toxins are mostly unknown. This protocol describes methods to harvest heteropteran venoms for further characterization, using electrostimulation, harassment, and gland dissection.

Heteropteran insects such as assassin bugs (Reduviidae) and giant water bugs (Belostomatidae) descended from a common predaceous and venomous ancestor, ...

Experimental Protocol for Examining Behavioral Response Profiles in Larval Fish: Application to the Neuro-stimulant Caffeine

Fish models and behaviors are increasingly used in the biomedical sciences; however, fish have long been the subject of ecological, physiological and toxicological studies. Using automated digital tracking platforms, recent efforts in neuropharmacology are leveraging larval fish locomotor behaviors to identify potential therapeutic targets for novel small molecules. Similar to these efforts, research in the environmental sciences and comparative pharmacology and toxicology is examining various behaviors of fish models as diagnostic tools in tiered evaluation of contaminants and real-time monitoring of surface waters for contaminant threats. Whereas the zebrafish is a popular larval fish model in the biomedical sciences, the fathead minnow is a common larval fish model in ecotoxicology. Unfortunately, fathead minnow larvae have received considerably less attention in behavioral studies. Here, we develop and demonstrate a behavioral profile protocol using caffeine as a model neurostimulant. Though photomotor responses of fathead minnows were occasionally affected by caffeine, zebrafish&#160;were markedly more sensitive for photomotor and locomotor endpoints, which responded at environmentally relevant levels. Future studies are needed to understand comparative behavioral sensitivity differences among fish with age and time of day, and to determine whether similar behavioral effects would occur in nature and be indicative of adverse outcomes at the individual or population levels of biological organization.

Here, we present a protocol to examine larval zebrafish and fathead minnow locomotor activities and photomotor responses (PMR) using an automated tracking software. When incorporated in common toxicology bioassays, analyses of these behaviors provide a diagnostic tool to examine chemical bioactivity. This protocol is described using caffeine, a model neurostimulant.

Fish models and behaviors are increasingly used in the biomedical sciences; however, fish have long been the subject of ecological, physiological and ...

Generating Homo- and Heterografts Between Watermelon and Bottle Gourd for the Study of Cold-responsive MicroRNAs

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs of about 20 - 24 nt, known to play important roles in plant development and adaptation. There is an accumulating evidence showing that the expressions of certain miRNAs are altered when grafting, an agricultural practice commonly used by farmers to improve crop tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Bottle gourd is an inherently climate-resilient crop compared to many other major cucurbits, including watermelon, rendering it one of the most widely used rootstocks for the latter. The recent advancement of high-throughput sequencing technologies has provided great opportunities to investigate cold-responsive miRNAs and their contributions to heterograft advantages; yet, adequate experimental procedures are a prerequisite for this purpose. Here, we present a detailed protocol for efficiently generating homo- and heterografts between the cold-susceptible watermelon and the cold-tolerant bottle gourd, in addition to methods of tissue sampling, data generation, and data analysis. The presented methods are also useful for other plant-grafting systems, to interrogate miRNA regulations under various environmental stresses, such as heat, drought, and salinity.

Here we present a detailed protocol for efficiently making homo- and heterografts between watermelon and bottle gourd, in addition to methods of tissue sampling, data generation, and data analysis, for the investigation of cold-responsive microRNAs.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs of about 20 - 24 nt, known to play important roles in plant development and adaptation. There is ...