Optical manipulation technique and its role in sucking insect pest management : An overview

Optical manipulation is a selective and environmentally friendly approach that targets specific insect pests without harming non-target organisms, and give IPM new dimension. A method to disrupt the behavior of sucking pests using UV-absorbing plastic films that block over 95% of ultraviolet light in the 200 to 380 nm range. These films hinder insects’ capacity to detect visual cues essential for finding their preferred hosts, with their responses significantly affected by the optical properties of size, shape, and color contrast. Photo selective materials like specialized nets and plastic films are engineered to selectively block or reflect certain wavelengths of light. This optical manipulation disrupts pests’ visual perception, navigation, orientation, and feeding behavior, ultimately leading to a significant decrease in pest populations.