Insects

Tephritid fruit flies of the tribe Dacini rank among the most economically destructive agricultural pests globally, with several Bactrocera Macquart and Zeugodacus Hendel species causing severe losses to fruit and vegetable production across South and Southeast Asia. Bangladesh harbors five dacine species of primary agricultural significance: Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), B. carambolae Drew & Hancock, B. zonata (Saunders), B. correcta (Bezzi), and Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett). Here we present a comparative mitogenomic and molecular phylogenetic framework based on 21 unique mitogenome records retrieved from NCBI GenBank, representing 19 dacine ingroup taxa and two outgroups. Direct parsing of the GenBank sequences confirmed the canonical complement of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) and two rRNA genes in all 21 records. Among the 14 Bactrocera ingroup taxa, genome size ranged from 15,273 to 15,977 bp. Whole-genome AT content ranged from 66.6% in Bactrocera tsuneonis to 82.2% in Drosophila melanogaster; the five Bangladesh-relevant dacine pest species showed tightly clustered AT content of 72.9-73.6%. A concatenated alignment of 13,600 nucleotide sites (13 PCGs + 12S + 16S rRNA) was analyzed by maximum-likelihood inference under the GTR+FO model (IQ-TREE v1.6.11; 1,000 ultrafast bootstrap replicates). The ML tree recovers the B. dorsalis complex (UFBoot = 79-100) and places B. correcta and B. zonata as a maximally supported sister pair (UFBoot = 100). This study provides a sequence-verified mitogenomic reference framework for molecular identification and pest surveillance in Bangladesh, and should be interpreted as a curated comparative baseline rather than a population-genomic analysis, as no newly collected Bangladeshi specimens were sequenced.

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is one of the most dangerous palm pests worldwide. Here we report the invasion process of R. ferrugineus in Uruguay. Beyond morphological and molecular identification, we infer the geographic origin of the invasive population, describe the succession of introduced and native palms attacked, provide an easy-to-use key to differentiate the invader R. ferrugineus from the native Rhynchophorus palmarum, and model the ecological niche of R. ferrugineus in Uruguay and neighboring countries. First detected in 2022, the Uruguayan population of the weevil is the first to establish on mainland America, following the earlier island records from Curacao and Aruba. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Uruguayan R. ferrugineus sequences clustered within a single clade, most closely related to sequences from southern China, and clearly distinct from the sequences of Curacao and Aruba, indicating at least two independent introduction events into the Americas from different source regions. After four years, R. ferrugineus has spread across an area of nearly 80,000 square kilometers and in January 2026 it reached Argentina, invading two points near the border with Uruguay. Over the first two years after the invasion, attacks focused on Phoenix canariensis, yet the three most common native palms in Uruguay, Butia odorata, Butia yatay, and Syagrus romanzoffiana, are currently being attacked. The diagnostic key to differentiate the pair R. palmarum / R. ferrugineus is based on three characters: the tip of the rostrum, the tegminal plate, and the ratio between the interocular space and the width of the rostrum at the base. Niche models showed that Uruguay and the neighboring areas of Argentina and Brazil are suitable for R. ferrugineus, and these are precisely the areas where both the highly susceptible P. canariensis and the native B. odorata, B. yatay, and S. romanzoffiana are present. Neighboring countries should therefore be prepared for the expansion of R. ferrugineus in the short term.

Accurately determining the mating status of the agricultural fruit fly pest Ceratitis capitata, commonly known as Medfly, is essential for timely and effective eradication efforts. To overcome the limitations of subjective DAPI-based staining assessments of females captured in Jackson dry traps and Multilure liquid traps, we developed a multi-tier molecular diagnostic method that unequivocally detects mating status using DNA probes targeting the male-specific Y114 locus on the Y-chromosome of the species. Our protocol integrates morphological evaluation with increasingly sensitive molecular assays through the following steps: 1) A preliminary quality assessment of the specimens physical condition, DNA preservation, and mating status using conventional PCR followed by agarose electrophoresis (cPCR); 2) Quantification and real-time detection of sperm presence via quantitative PCR (qPCR); and 3) Detection of trace sperm amounts through droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). This PCR-based framework is designed for samples collected in the field, enabling accurate analysis of specimens exposed to adverse environmental conditions and varying levels of preservation after 2- and 3-weeks weathering times in traps. It allows quantitative determination of mating status even when sperm concentrations are extremely low, such as during transient copulation, and achieves detection limits down to approximately 14 spermatozoa in a mated female. By accounting for variable specimen quality and the performance characteristics of each molecular platform, this tiered approach ensures highly sensitive and unequivocal detection of mated females. The methodology can be used to assist eradication efforts across the C. capitata geographic range through the timely detection of mated females, halting their expansion and establishment into novel regions reducing control and eradication costs.

BACKGROUND: Aphids damage crops through sustained feeding and by rapid transmission of plant viruses, processes that are not effectively prevented by conventional insecticides. The sugarcane aphid (Melanaphis sacchari), an invasive pest of sorghum in the United States, can inoculate non-persistent viruses within minutes of probing. Disrupting feeding phases represents an alternative strategy in plant disease and integrated pest management. ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters) influence insect physiological performance, but their role in regulating aphid feeding behavior relevant to crop damage and virus transmission remains unknown. This study evaluated whether ABC transporter activity alters feeding phases of M. sacchari on sorghum. RESULTS: Aphids exposed to ABC transporter modulators via artificial diet and monitored using Electrical Penetration Graph (EPG) recordings showed significant reductions in salivation in E1 phase, compared with controls (P < 0.05) and an increased duration in xylem phase when treated with elacridar, an ABC transporter inhibitor. Aphids treated with dexamethasone, an ABC transporter activator, exhibited increased time spent in pathway phase compared to the controls. ATPase assays also showed significant variations in modulator-treated samples compared to the controls. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that transporter modulators alter feeding behaviors which might lead to reduced crop damage/virus transmission, including pathway activities, salivation, and xylem ingestion. This study opens the path to identify ABC transporters as regulators of feeding phases, and to advance the understanding of aphid-plant interactions. This new knowledge will support the development of feeding-based pest management strategies to reduce crop damage and virus transmission.

Stingless bees are key pollinators of native and cultivated plants, and their management mostly for honey and hive commercialisation has become an increasingly popular practice in Brazil. Hives are commonly kept close together and visually similar in meliponaries, a practice that favours drifting, i.e., the return of foragers to a foreign nest. Distance between hives and layout have been identified as drivers of drifting in the Western honeybee, but evidence for stingless bees, the largest group of social bees, remains scarce. Additionally, stingless beekeepers frequently associate drifting with weakened colonies, uneven honey production, worker fighting, and colony population imbalances. We investigated the effects of hive layout on foraging traffic and drifting in the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata. We compared forager traffic across six layouts varying in distance, colour and entrance orientation. Then, using RFID tags, we tracked drifting across three layouts with the same inter-hive distance but different designs: visually similar hives, hives with opposite entrance orientation, and hives painted with distinct colours. Forager traffic was lowest in the visually similar layout during the first two weeks of monitoring, which is consistent with greater disorientation in the absence of clear visual cues. Hive position was a key driver of drifting behaviour across all layouts, with bees from edge hives drifting considerably less than those from inner hives. Drifting decreased considerably in hives with different colours (37.6%) and hives with entrances in opposite directions (48.1%), compared to similarly looking hives with entrances in the same direction (59.5%). Therefore, our findings highlight practical low-effort strategies for stingless beekeepers to reduce forager loss, pathogen spread, and productivity losses.

BACKGROUND: Varroa destructor is the major ectoparasite of honey bees and a vector of viral pathogens. Because pathogen transmission and exposure to contact-active acaricides depend on mite host contacts, understanding the factors governing host residence time is important for both disease epidemiology and pest management. We quantified host residence time under varying bee densities and host-type compositions. RESULTS: Mean residence time was 9.48 h across 312 host-residence events. Mites remained on individual hosts for only 2.36 h on Day 1 but approximately 11-14 h from Day 2 onward. A generalized linear mixed model showed a strong positive effect of day on residence time ({beta} = 0.341, SE = 0.044, P < 0.001), corresponding to an approximately 41% increase in residence time per day. Excluding Day 1 eliminated this effect (P = 0.16), indicating that the temporal pattern was driven primarily by the initial exposure period. Reconstructing Day 1 observations to an 8-hour schedule confirmed that this pattern was not an artifact of observation frequency. Neither host type nor bee density affected residence time, and mite occupancy of nurse bees matched host availability. CONCLUSION: Host residence time was governed primarily by initial exposure rather than host identity or moderate crowding. The results identify a previously undescribed exploratory phase immediately after mites enter a novel adult-bee population. Because shorter residence times imply more frequent host switching, these findings improve our understanding of pathogen transmission dynamics and may help explain variation in the performance of contact-based Varroa control strategies.

The expansion of global trade has increased the risk of unintentional introductions of woodboring insects outside their native ranges, which can cause considerable ecological and economic damage. Monitoring efforts for native and non-native species of woodborers rely heavily on semiochemical-baited traps. With the goal of improving detection efforts of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and their associates, we conducted field bioassays in loblolly pine dominated and bottomland hardwood forest ecosystems, which are representative of subtropical Louisiana. We tested the impact of attractant composition, trap design, and the application of a friction reducing compound on the capture of longhorned beetles. We compared the Synergy Multi-Trap System with and without Fluon, and the Synergy Funnel Trap II with Fluon, baited with multicomponent cerambycid lures and ethanol or ethanol alone. In total, we collected 5,303 beetles comprising 44 species. Traps baited with cerambycid lures and ethanol captured ~11X more individuals than the traps baited with ethanol. We identified novel attractants for 6 species of longhorned beetles. When Fluon was applied, both the Synergy Multi-Trap System and Funnel Trap II were equally effective at capturing cerambycids. Application of Fluon significantly increased the trap capture of the Synergy Multi-Trap System by ~4X compared to the same trap type without Fluon. Our results contribute to our understanding of the factors influencing trap captures and the chemical ecology of woodboring insects thereby helping the development of early detection and rapid response monitoring programs in subtropical regions of the United States and elsewhere.

Smoke flies (Diptera: Platypezidae: Microsania) are among the most specialized pyrophilic insects, exhibiting a strong and rapid reaction to smoke. Although their attraction to smoke has been known for a century worldwide, their immature stages and breeding habitat remained undiscovered. We hand-netted smoke flies at seven prescribed forest burns in boreal Finland between 2022 and 2024 and took soil samples in 2026. Smoke fly swarming and reproductive behaviour was observed at all burn sites. We obtained smoke flies of five out of the six Finnish species, with Microsania pallipes dominating (94%). Following the behavioural observations at burn sites, we later screened soil samples and found larvae identified as Microsania mtDNA COI barcodes in the burnt soil. We provide a first description of the larva of Microsania straeleni (Microsaniinae). Our discovery of the larval habitat in burnt soil resolved the long-standing knowledge gap on smoke fly breeding sites. The morphological characteristics of the immature stages will help elucidate the phylogenetic placement of the Microsaniinae within the Platypezoidea lineage.

The persistence of pest populations during crop off-seasons is a major challenge for integrated pest management, yet the ecological processes underlying survival and re-infestation often remain unclear. We investigated the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, a major mango pest, through a two-year demographic monitoring across 56 orchards in the two main mango production basins in Senegal: the Sahelian Niayes and the tropical Casamance. Using a framework combining mechanistic and machine learning models, we identified the main environmental drivers of two key demographic parameters: the local abundance during the mango off-season and the onset of population growth in orchards. In the Niayes, harsh dry-season conditions confined residual populations to micro-habitats providing humidity and shade, while alternative hosts such as citrus trees could act as catalysts for early outbreaks. In contrast, under tropical conditions in the Casamance basin, B.dorsalis populations were more abundant year-round, and higher off-season densities appear to delay outbreak onset, likely due to density-dependent processes such as competition and predation. These findings show that distinct ecological processes shape B. dorsalis off-season persistence across environments, thereby determining population carry-over and growth onset, and ultimately leading to contrasting population dynamics across environments. They support region-specific management strategies to effectively reduce pest pressure: targeting refuges and early host resources in the Niayes, and enhancing natural regulation in Casamance.

Heliococcus summervillei is an emerging invasive mealybug that causes severe dieback in grasses in pastures and turfgrass landscapes. It is widespread in Australia and has recently been detected across the Caribbean, Mexico, and the United States. Accurate identification of mealybugs is challenging due to cryptic morphology, overlapping diagnostic characters, and limited taxonomic expertise and literature, which makes molecular tools essential for regulatory diagnostics and management. We developed the first Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) barcode for H. summervillei and used it to examine mitochondrial variation across available populations. COI sequences reveal approximately a 10.2% mitochondrial split between the Type A and Type B variants. Phylogenetic, haplotype network, and genetic distance analyses show that all invasive range populations share one haplotype associated with a recent invasion in the United States, Australia, Pakistan, and the Caribbean, whereas the Barbados lineage contains two closely related haplotypes that represent a historically stable mitochondrial variant. Together, these results establish the first COI reference library for H. summervillei, clarify mitochondrial lineage structure, and provide a practical barcode tool that enables rapid identification of invasive populations and supports timely regulatory and pest management responses. Recognizing mitochondrial variants also establishes a framework for resolving lineage-specific biological and management traits and strengthens reconstruction of introduction pathways central to regulatory decision-making and limiting further spread.

Stink bugs (Hemiptera Pentatomidae) are major agricultural pests worldwide, including both native and invasive species. In France, for instance, Halyomorpha halys has rapidly expanded its range, affecting key crops such as hazelnuts, apples, and vegetables. Meanwhile, several native, polyphagous species - Nezara viridula, Palomena prasina and, to a lesser extent, Graphosoma italicum - are re-emerging and impacting diverse crops because of changes in agricultural practices and climatic conditions. Egg parasitoids represent promising biological control agents for these pests, be it through conservation, augmentation or introduction biological control. However, their actual potential is not precisely documented due to a lack of ambitious surveys and possible taxonomic issues. This study aims to address this gap by compiling results obtained from various of egg parasitism surveys of Pentatomidae in France and implementing a large-scale DNA Barcoding approach (2000 individuals) for the emerged parasitoids. Our results indicate a high diversity of egg parasitoids, and detected some taxonomic issues and molecular inconsistencies that warrant further study. Among the three families of egg parasitoids recovered (Encyrtidae, Eupelmide, and Scelionidae), Scelionidae was the most abundant and diverse with nine species of Trissolcus (including the two adventive species, Tr. japonicus and Tr. mitsukurii) and four Telenomus species (including two unidentified to species). Scelionidae dominated the parasitoid assemblages associated with most of the Pentatomidae host species, except for H. halys for which the eupelmid Anastatus bifasciatus was the most common species.

The honey bee ectoparasitic mite Tropilaelaps mercedesae is an emerging threat to Western beekeeping, as it is expanding its range from native Asia. In this study, the first record of the presence of Tropilaelaps mercedesae in Turkiye, in the Artvin province, in the north-east of the country is documented. Following reports of weakening colonies, eight apiaries were inspected using the rapid brood decapping method. All apiaries were found positive, and infestation was detected in 22 of 24 examined colonies. Mite samples were analysed with morphometry and barcoding and were confirmed as T. mercedesae. In the paper, we discuss the impact of imports and migration practices on the mites occurrence in Turkiye. In addition, we forecast the potential corridors and means of further invasion and address the implications for European and global apiculture.

Nesidiocoris tenuis is an important zoophytophagous mirid bug used as a biological control agent in agriculture, and breeding efforts based on genomic information aim to increase its utility. Visible eye-color mutants are useful genetic markers because they are easily distinguishable and are therefore widely used in insect genetics and genome editing studies. Here, we investigated the genetic basis of a spontaneous red-eye mutant identified in a laboratory strain of N. tenuis. Classical crossing experiments suggested that the red-eye phenotype is controlled by a single recessive locus. RNA-seq and RNA interference (RNAi) analyses identified scarlet and cinnabar as the primary candidate genes associated with the phenotype. Further genomic analysis revealed a large deletion and insertion within exon 5 of the mutant scarlet allele, potentially causing exon skipping and disrupting transporter structure. The insertion pattern is consistent with a microhomology-mediated break-induced replication (MMBIR)/fork stalling and template switching (FoSTeS)-like event that may have been generated through polymerase{theta} -mediated repair. Together, these findings identify the causative mutation underlying the red-eye phenotype and provide a useful visible marker for future functional genetic studies and genome-assisted breeding in N. tenuis.

Arthropods represent the most species-rich animal group on the planet, yet they remain largely overlooked in formal conservation planning. New Mexico is a US state with exceptional biodiversity, including numerous endemic, rare, and threatened arthropod species. Recent attention to global insect declines has highlighted the need to document possible threats to and declines of New Mexico insects and other arthropods. All terrestrial arthropods in New Mexico lacked state-level regulatory protection until 2025, and baseline data on the taxonomy, ecology, geographic distribution and conservation needs for most New Mexico arthropod species remained absent. To address this gap, we developed the New Mexico Rare Arthropod Resource (NM-RARe), a publicly accessible regional database for arthropod species and subspecies of conservation concern in New Mexico. Drawing from multiple vetted sources, we compiled an initial working list of 7,018 taxa and conducted 261 preliminary IUCN Red List assessments and 185 NatureServe state rank assessments, covering 285 total taxa. Of those assessed by IUCN Red List standards, 52 were subspecies and 209 were species level assessments, 165 of which met the criteria for inclusion and were incorporated into the NM-RARe database (https://nmrare.org/). Ninety-three of the pollinating insect species from NM-RARe were then formally incorporated into New Mexico's 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), representing a significant conservation milestone. Beyond its immediate regional impact, NM-RARe presents a standardized, scalable methodology adaptable to any region or taxonomic group, offering a replicable framework for arthropod conservation assessment worldwide.

Neuropeptides and their G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) control much of insect physiology and behaviour, but in Gryllus bimaculatus, an emerging model and edible insect, receptor sequence similarity hinders the mapping of which peptide each GPCR activates. We re-annotated a chromosome-scale genome (BUSCO 95.3%, from 86.7% on insecta_odb12) with comprehensive curation of 48 neuropeptide precursor families (51 loci, including seven not previously identified) and 134 candidate GPCRs (66 rhodopsin-class, 68 secretin-class), providing a near complete neuropeptide-receptor interactome catalogue. We modelled all 15,946 peptide-receptor pairs with AlphaFold3 and Boltz-2 and scored each interface with pLDDT and ipSAE. Ranking these scores, and cross-checking the top candidate for each family against a receptor phylogeny of known ligand specificity, gave a confident, phylogenetically related receptor for 27 of 35 curated receptor groups. These matches confirm the structural scorings with existing deorphanization data and propose receptors for peptides with no prior functional evidence. The annotation, curated peptide and receptor sets, and ranked complexes are available through CricketBase (https://cricket.annotation.jp), a genome browser with a structure viewer of peptide-receptor complexes, providing a resource for G. bimaculatus endocrinology and a workflow to deorphanize GPCRs in other non-model insects.

Wildflower plantings are an important conservation measure for supporting wild bee diversity. They aim to enhance floral resources for nutrition, but do not explicitly consider that bees also require suitable nesting and overwintering resources. Wildflower plantings may provide nesting habitat for ground-nesting bees, but the effects of soil management, e.g. ploughing, on ground-nesting bees are hardly known. To study how ploughing and age of wildflower plantings affect ground-nesting bees, we sampled bees on ploughed and unploughed wildflower plantings aged 0-4 years. We used emergence traps to sample bees directly after emergence from the ground, allowing inference on nest numbers. We found that ploughing and wildflower planting age negatively affected overwintering bee nest numbers. Nesting peaked in the year of wildflower planting establishment and declined thereafter, indicating lower habitat suitability at later successional stages. Annual ploughing caused the greatest reduction in nest numbers (-72 %), providing evidence for an ecological trap.

Many social insects, such as ants, change their behavior stereotypically from nursing to foraging as they age, a concept known as temporal polyethism. Biogenic amines are associated with these specific behaviors, but much about them remains poorly understood in these animals. Many aminergic systems lack anatomical characterization, and little is known about the expression of genes required for the aforementioned behavioral phenotypes. Here, we studied Pogonomyrmex barbatus brains and identified the neurons that produce two relevant amines, dopamine and octopamine, by detecting their synthesis enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase and tyramine beta-hydroxylase, and their transcripts. We also compared the expression of both genes in young nurses and mature foragers by measuring the fluorescence intensity. Dopaminergic and octopaminergic neurons are predominantly located in the protocerebrum and in the subesophageal zone. Neurons that produce dopamine are also present in the optic lobes, whereas octopamine-producing ones show clusters in the antennal lobes. Both genes are downregulated as the organism ages. A reduction in the expression of these genes might be correlated with the mature workers increased propensity to perform extranidal tasks, such as foraging.

The two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) is an extremely polyphagous pest, yet the genetic basis of this adaptive potential remains to be fully elucidated. Since expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) provide the genetic basis of numerous phenotypes, we aimed to identify trans-eQTL hotspots underlying T. urticae fitness upon transfer from a common (bean) to a challenging (tomato) host plant. Nonetheless, the identification of trans-eQTLs is complex and often constrained by methodological challenges and high costs. Therefore, we employed a multiparental mapping strategy driven by RNA-seq, enabling us to leverage extensive genetic variation in a cost-efficient manner. A randomly mating population was generated on bean from a small number of genetically diverse, often heterozygous parents, and subsequently transferred to tomato prior to RNA-seq. Upon whole genome sequencing of the parents, RNA-seq of the mapping population individuals was sufficient to reconstruct their genomes as a combination of parental haploblocks. Subsequent eQTL mapping identified 23 distinct trans-eQTL hotspot regions associated with the expression of numerous target genes. The most prominent hotspot on chromosome 3 was associated with approximately 900 genes and showed enrichment for functions related to detoxification and digestion. Furthermore, 4 of these trans-eQTL hotspot genotypes explained significant variation in mite fitness on the challenging host plant. This contrasted a traditional QTL mapping approach, where these genotypes could not be detected due to multiple testing correction. Our study hence offers a powerful strategy for trans-eQTL hotspot screening and the discovery of trait-associated loci in complex, multiparental genetic backgrounds.

AimWe develop Atta leafcutter-ants as bioindicators that respond at fine scales to geographic and seasonal climate changes in the Americas, thereby addressing the paucity of versatile insect bioindicator systems capable of monitoring climate in both Southern and Northern Hemispheres. LocationAmerican tropics and sub-tropics from latitudes S33.6{degrees} to N33.2{degrees}, with case studies from Colombia, Mexico, and southern USA. Time Period2012-2024. Taxon StudiedAtta leafcutter-ants. MethodsWe elucidate biogeographic patterns of mating-flight phenology of Atta leafcutter-ants across the entire Atta range from Uruguay/Argentina to the USA, using 2335 records of Atta reproductives from the community database iNaturalist, then ground-truth these patterns by comparison with (i) mating-flight records (n=806) from the Atta literature; and (ii) mating-flight observations (n=836) accumulated by a consortium of experts who have researched Atta for a combined 1000+ work-years. Onset of mating flights can be timed with great precision in Atta populations because mass-mating flights are synchronized and triggered by the first major rainfall of a rainy season. ResultsBiogeographic patterns in climate-dependent mating-flight phenologies recorded at iNaturalist are corroborated by observations accumulated in the literature and by Atta experts. Analyses reveal so-far unknown gradients in mating-flight phenology (e.g., Colombia to USA) that are correlated to geographic climate gradients, and season switches of mating flights from early to late in the year between proximate Atta populations (e.g., 200 kilometers apart), for example in the climatically complex Andean regions of Colombia. Regional differences in Atta mating-flight phenology correspond to temporal differences in rainfall between ecoregions of Colombia. Main ConclusionsAtta ants are tractable insect bioindicators to monitor climate impacts with detailed spatial and temporal resolution across a 9200-kilometer trans-equatorial transect in the Americas. We outline future research directions to explore climate-dependent biology using the continuously growing, and now ground-truthed, information at iNaturalist on Atta mating behavior.

Entomopathogenic Bacillus cereus group members (e.g. B. thuringiensis) are arguably the most important source of biopesticides globally and are widely used for industrial-scale crop protection. However, the application of biopesticidal B. cereus group strains is currently threatened by increasing resistance among insects, necessitating the development of novel insecticides. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing to characterize 13 novel B. cereus group strains from sites with high-density insect populations, including six isolates from an insect cadaver. Overall, diverse B. cereus group members were observed, encompassing three panC groups (II, IV and VI) and seven sequence types. Five strains possessed insecticidal Cry toxin-encoding genes with predicted target ranges that included insect species present at the respective sampling locations. Moreover, the genomes were computationally mined for biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs; clusters of genes governing secondary metabolite synthesis). In total, 274 BGCs were observed, of which the majority (170 BGCs; 62.04%) did not cluster with known BGCs. Taken together, our study indicates that sampling B. cereus group bacteria from insect-rich ecological niches may yield Cry toxins against the self-same insects, as well as novel and unexplored BGCs, suggesting that targeted sampling efforts could generate compound leads for biopesticide development.