RNAi targeting ecdysone receptor blocks the larva to adult development of Tetranychus cinnabarinus

RNA interference (RNAi) is a potentially useful pest control method because of its high specificity. Silencing the expression of important RNAi target genes of pests will block important biological processes and reduce pest damage. Ecdysone is a unique arthropod hormone and the ecdysone receptor (EcR) is a key factor in molting pathway. We investigated the possibility that dsRNA targeting of the EcR of Tetranychus cinnabarinus (TcEcR) could effectively block development from larvae to adults. The mRNA level of TcEcR was highest in the larva stage, and 73.1% of the mites failed to survive the larva stage when TcEcR expression was silenced. Only 11.7% of T. cinnabarinus ingesting dsRNA successfully developed into adults, while 86.7% in the control succeeded in molting across each stage. RNAi significantly increased the developmental intervals of T. cinnabarinus. Under the effects of dsRNA, development times for the larva and first nymph doubled. Phenotype of body size change and death were observed during the development of T. cinnabarinus ingesting dsRNA. These findings suggest that RNAi is a potential means for the control of T. cinnabarinus. Genes in hormone pathways such as EcR are possible RNAi targets.