TuATG1-Mediated Autophagy Confers Thermotolerance in Tetranychus urticae and Provides an RNAi Target for Pest Management

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, is a globally distributed agricultural pest with exceptional thermotolerance, enabling rapid outbreaks under hot conditions, particularly in greenhouses. While antioxidant enzymes contribute to heat resistance, the molecular mechanisms underlying long-term thermotolerance remain unclear. Autophagy-related proteins (ATGs) are key stress regulators in many organisms, but their roles in T. urticae have not been explored. This study combined transcriptomics, reference gene validation, expression profiling, and RNA interference (RNAi) to investigate autophagy-mediated heat tolerance.