In vitro evaluation of venom extracts of Sphecid wasps against phytopathogens of horticultural crops and mass spectrometric profiling of venom peptide components

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In vitro evaluation of venom extracts of Sphecid wasps against phytopathogens of horticultural crops and mass spectrometric profiling of venom peptide components

Abstract

As the shortcomings of synthetic chemicals become gradually evident, the dynamics of pest and disease management in modern agriculture are progressively shifting towards environmentally safer alternatives. Biopesticides, such as peptide-based approaches offer attractive alternatives, although their potential remains yet to be fully explored. In this exploratory study, crude venom extracts from previously unexplored Hymenopteran sphecid wasps (Chalybion bengalense, Sceliphron madraspatanum, Ammophila atriceps and Sphex argentatus) were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against selected plant pathogens. The venom extracts demonstrated prominent antibacterial activity lacking antifungal activity. Among the wasps, C. bengalense exhibited the most significant antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri, X. axonopodis pv. punicae, Ralstonia solanacearum and Pectobacterium carotovorum). LC–MS profiling revealed multiple ionizable molecular features corresponding to compounds in the mass range of 300–3000 Da, indicative of low-molecular-weight bioactive constituents. The comparison of m/z values in the venom sample to the proteomic database and reported literature putatively matched the antimicrobial peptides, Eumenine mastoparan (m/z 1483.1240) and Decoralin (m/z 1257.0773). Further, the exploration of this largely unexplored diversity of antimicrobial compounds offers a valuable opportunity to identify novel bioactive molecules from insect venoms.

Manasa, C., Jayappa, J., Ugalat, J. et al. In vitro evaluation of venom extracts of Sphecid wasps against phytopathogens of horticultural crops and mass spectrometric profiling of venom peptide components. Int J Trop Insect Sci (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-026-02000-4