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Gelişen teknoloji sayesinde bilgiye kolay erişim sağlansa da, bu durum kötü amaçlı eylemlerin artışına da sebep olmuştur. Android işletim sistemlerinde sıklıkla rastlanan kötü amaçlı yazılımlar (malware), kullanıcıların cihazındaki verilere erişerek büyük bir tehdit oluşturmaktadır. Bu çalışma, kötü amaçlı yazılımları tespit etmek amacıyla yüksek doğruluklu ve güvenilir bir model geliştirmeyi hedeflemektedir. Modelleme çalışmalarında popüler bir veri seti olan DREBIN-215 Android Malware Dataset kullanılmıştır. Makine Öğrenmesi algoritmaları arasından Support Vector Machines (SVM), Gradient Boosting (GB), Multi Layer Perceptron (MLP), Naïve Bayes (MNB), K-En Yakın Komşu (KNN) ve Random Forest (RF) algoritmaları uygulanmıştır. Algoritmaların performansları, varsayılan parametreler ve GridSearch yöntemiyle elde edilen en iyi hiperparametre değerlerinin kullanılmasıyla değerlendirilmiştir. En başarılı model, SVM algoritmasıyla en iyi hiperparametrelerin uygulanması sonucu %99.07 doğruluk oranıyla elde edilmiştir.

Background: Cabbage looper [Trichoplusia ni (Hübner, 1803) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)] is a significant pest of field crops and greenhouses in various parts of the world. Although cabbage is the preferred host for the pest, it harms several other crops. Cabbage looper infests almond orchards in Turkey; however, its population dynamics is unknown. Methods: The current study determined population dynamics of cabbage looper in three almond (Amygdalus communis L.) orchards located in Eyyübiye, Haliliye, and Karaköprü districts of Şanlıurfa province, Turkey. Population dynamics were monitored by sex pheromone traps (5.0 mg E5 Decenyl acetate and 1.0 mg E5 Decenol). Three pheromone traps were set up in each orchard during the last week of March, and emergence time, population density, population peaks, and activity duration of cabbage looper were monitored with the traps. The traps were monitored twice a week until the first adult emerged. Afterward, the traps were monitored weekly, and the numbers of adults captured by the traps were recorded. Results: The peak population development of cabbage looper was recorded in Eyyübiye (45 adults/trap), Karaköprü (43 adults/trap), and Haliliye (40 adults/trap) on 13, 20, and 27 April, respectively. The population declined after these peaks, and the pest could not develop a significant population from the second half of June until September. The pest population was again recorded at the end of September and in the first week of November. The total number of adults caught by pheromone traps was 156, 181, and 117 adults/trap in Eyyübiye, Haliliye, and Karaköprü orchards, respectively. Conclusion: It is concluded that cabbage looper adults remain active for at least seven months from the beginning of April to the beginning of November in almond orchards situated in Şanlırfa province, Turkey. Therefore, management strategies should be developed during the peak development periods. Nevertheless, the damage caused by the pest is still unknown in the country; therefore, economic damages should be determined in future studies. Furthermore, pest risk analysis and modeling of the potential spread of cabbage looper in almond production areas could further provide valuable information on the risks related to the species.

Background: Pistachio twig borer [Kermania pistaciella Amsel, 1964 (Lepidoptera: Tineidae)] is one of the most important pests of pistachio that opens galleries in the shoots and causes blind and sparse-grained clusters and all these damage fruit clusters. However, the infestation rates and cardinal direction preference are unknown for the pest. Methods: This study determined infestation rate and cardinal direction preference of K. pistaciella in pistachio orchards during 2019 and 2020. The orchards located in in 25 different locations, i.e., Birecik, Bozova, Ceylanpınar, Eyyübiye, Halfeti, Haliliye, Hilvan and Karaköprü districts Şanlıurfa province Turkey. Surveys were carried out in three or four orchards representing each district included in the study. Twenty-five trees were randomly selected from each orchard and one shoot from each side of the tree was collected (100 shoots per orchard) for determining infestation and cardinal directional preference. A total 2500 shoots were observed from the study area and infestation was recorded. Results: The highest infestation rate was recorded for Yaslıca village in Bozova district (70%) during 2019, and Göklü village of Halfeti and Akziyaret village in Karaköprü district (29%) during 2020. The lowest infestation rate (2%) was noted for Akrepli village of Ceylanpınar district during both years of the study. Bozova and Halfeti were the most infested districts compared to the rest of the districts included in the study. The highest and the lowest infestation rate was recorded for north and west directions, respectively during both years of study. The average of two years data revealed that infestation rate for the shoots collected from the north direction was 23.68%, while it 20.33% for the shoots collected form west direction. Statistical analysis revealed non-significant difference for infestation rates of the shoots collected from different directions (χ2 = 0,9468; p = 0,8141). Conclusion: The results revealed that all tree directions should be considered for the application of management practices since the pest does not prefer a specific direction. The cost of chemical control is high, but the efficacy is low, which necessitates alternative control methods for the management of the pest.

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), being a cash and fiber crop is of high significance in Pakistan. Numerous insect pests and viral diseases in Pakistan and around the world attack cotton crop. Genetically modified cotton (transgenic, resistant to lepidopteran insects), hereafter written as 'Bt-cotton' has been introduced in many regions of the world to combat bollworms. However, cultivars differ in their pest susceptibility, yield response and fiber quality traits. Nonetheless, recent studies have indicated that lepidopteran pests are evolving resistance against 'Bt-cotton'. Several 'Bt-cotton' cultivars have been developed in Pakistan in the past decade; however, limited is known about their pest susceptibility, seed-cotton yield and fiber quality traits. This two-year field study evaluated pest susceptibility, yield and fiber quality traits of thirteen newly developed 'Bt-cotton' cultivars in Pakistan. The cultivars differed in their susceptibility to sucking insects during both years of study. The cultivars 'FH-647', 'SLH-8', 'FH-Lalazar' and 'IUB-013' were more susceptible to jassid, whereas 'BS-52' exhibited higher susceptibility to whitefly during both years of study. Similarly, cultivars 'AGC-999' and 'MNH-992' proved highly susceptible to thrips during each study year. Although 'Bt-cotton' is resistant to bollworms, cultivars 'SLAH-8', 'VH-305' and 'BH-184' were susceptible to spotted bollworm, while 'SLAH-8', 'RH-647' and 'VH-305' were infested by American bollworm. The most susceptible cultivars to cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV) attack were 'RH-647', 'IR-NIBGE-7' and 'VH-305'. The highest seed-cotton yield was recorded for 'FH-Lalazar' during both years of study. Similarly, the highest ginning out turn was recorded for cultivars 'BS-52', 'VH-305', 'RH-647', 'IUB' and 'AA-919'. The cultivar 'FH-Lalazar' exhibited low pest susceptibility and CLCuV infestation compared to the rest of cultivars. The highest and the lowest gross and net incomes and benefit:cost ratio were noted for 'FH-Lalazar' and 'RH-647, respectively. Keeping in view the low pest susceptibility and high seed-cotton yield, 'FH-Lalazar' could be recommended for higher yield and economic returns in Multan, Pakistan. Nonetheless, regional trials should be conducted for site-specific or region-specific recommendations.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236340.].

Background: Stored wheat grains are infested by several insect pests which lead to notable financial losses, compromised food security, and higher wastage. The confused flour beetle [Tribolium confusum DuVal (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)] is a widespread pest infesting stored flour and grains. Pest management in stored wheat requires ecofriendly option with lower toxicity to stored grains. Diatomaceous earths (DEs) are considered environment-friendly, green insecticides and often used to manage stored product pests. Methods: This study determined the impacts of different temperatures, relative humidity levels, and doses on the efficacy of three DEs [i.e., two raw native (Ankara, and Aydin), and one commercial (Silico-Sec)]. Two temperatures (25 °C and 30 °C), two relative humidity levels (40% and 60%) and five doses (0, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 ppm) of the tested DEs were included in the study. Different DE doses were mixed with 500 g of wheat grains in plastic containers and 30 adults of T. confusum were released. The containers were kept under different temperature and relative humidity levels according to the treatments and mortality data was recorded at 7, 14 and 21 days after treatments (DAT). Results: The mortality linearly increased with increasing time intervals and DEs doses. The highest and the lowest mortality was noted at 21 and 7 DAT, respectively. All DEs caused higher mortality under 30 °C temperature, 40% relative humidity and 1000 ppm dose. The native DE Aydin and commercial DE Silico-Sec caused comparable mortalities. Conclusion: Overall, the highest mortality was recorded with 1000 ppm dose of all DEs under 30 °C temperature and 40% relative humidity. Therefore, the DEs must be applied at these environmental conditions for getting higher efficacy. Furthermore, the native DE Aydin could be utilized to manage T. confusum in the granaries. The farmer granaries in the region have similar temperature and relative humidity conditions; therefore, the DEs can be successfully used to lower the damages caused by T. confusum at farmers’ level.