The Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata, is a global pest known for its rapid development of resistance to a wide array of insecticides. This resilience threatens the sustainability of integrated pest management programs and highlights the need for novel, targeted control strategies. A promising form of targeted control for populations of CPB employs the exogenous application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that triggers the naturally occurring RNA interference (RNAi) pathway within the beetle. Ledprona, the active ingredient in the biopesticide Calanthaâ„¢, targets and silences an essential gene in CPB. Silencing this gene reduces the subsequently translated protein's prevalence, ultimately leading to mortality. While Calanthaâ„¢ is a highly specific control method, there is value in investigating the potential for sublethal impacts of utilizing RNAi for such an adaptable pest. Preliminary investigations established these sublethal doses by assessing the no observable effect limits of ledprona in CPB. Exposure to sublethal doses has been associated with alterations in phenotypic responses, especially in reproductive capacity. These sublethal effects raise important considerations for understanding pest performance under real-world conditions, particularly in the context of incomplete exposure or environmental variability. To assess the potential for transgenerational inheritance of these impacts, offspring of sublethally exposed beetles were monitored for changes in development, survival, and phenotype. Understanding how exposed pests and their offspring behave and perform at sublethal levels is critical for predicting real-world outcomes and refining RNAi-based pest management strategies.
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