The antifeedant activity of lactones with di- and trimethylcyclohexane system was assessed in choice and no-choice bioassays against Leptinotarsa decemlineata and Alphitobius diaperinus larvae and beetles. The results showed that feeding deterrent activity depends on the structure of the tested compounds. Additional methyl group in the molecule of some compounds influences their activity increase or changes their properties from attractant to deterrent ones. The present results also demonstrate the species and developmental stage dependence of antifeedant activity.

Effective control of Leptinotarsa decemlineata remains an urgent problem for agriculture worldwide. Minimization of the use of non-selective neonicotinoid insecticides, such as thiomethoxam, is an actual vector of development of potato cultivation. In this rapid communication, we show the prospect of the topical use of short unmodified antisense fragment of L. decemlineata CYP6B gene as a DNA insecticide. Investigated parameters, namely, number of larvae per plant, aboveground biomass, yield and number of potatoes produced per plant indicate the possibility of this post-genomic approach as a safe and effective method of L. decemlineata control.

The group composition of epicuticular waxes of the five Polish varieties of Solanum tuberosum were studied by HPLC, GC, and GC/MS. Alkanes, alcohols (primary and secondary), fatty acids and ketones (terminal and internal) were identified and quantified. The quantitative compositional results were analysed by chemometrie methods such as cluster and principal component analysis. A correlation was found between Colorado potato beetle infestation and quantities of specific chemical groups in epicuticular waxes.