Insecticidal activity of orally delivered dsRNA in field-collected African sweetpotato weevils Cylas puncticollis (Coleoptera, Brentidae) from Uganda and Kenya

Abstract: The African sweetpotato weevil Cylas puncticollis (SPW) is considered as one of the major threats to sweetpotato production in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The novel post-genomic RNA interference (RNAi) technology can add genetic resistance against SPW in sweetpotato. We previously reported that orally delivered dsRNA targeting the essential gene snf7 (dsSnf7) can elicit a significant toxicity in C. puncticollis. For further application of RNAi technology in this pest, we studied the potential variation of the RNAi toxicity among populations. We therefore compared the insecticidal effects of dsRNA-Snf7 after oral feeding between a laboratory colony, originally from Uganda, and three field-collected populations from Kenya.