## 7 Conclusions  
The efficacy of dsRNA as a control tactic against WCR, along with commercial viability and regulatory approval, has spearheaded the use of RNAi technology for insect pest management and initiated a new phase of highly species-specific insecticides. The ERA and safety studies performed with dsRNA active against WCR have shown that the effects on non-target organisms, including humans and the environment, will be negligible. The commercial release of dsRNA for corn rootworm control represents a milestone for WCR management, as it is the first new MOA to be deployed since 2005 [147]. However, the presence of dsRNA resistance alleles in natural populations exhibiting cross-resistance to other dsRNAs suggests RNAi may represent a single MOA in WCR. Further studies with other RNAi traits and WCR populations will determine how resistance may develop in the field and the uncertainty that presents for other RNAi traits. Furthermore, in contrast to historically commercialized _Bt_ proteins, dsRNAs are more potent to adults at high concentrations, suggesting the likelihood of exposure to sublethal concentrations in the field upon feeding. Hence, future studies evaluating the effect of adult exposure to field-realistic dsRNA concentrations are important to characterize the potential risk of sublethal exposure on resistance evolution and the impact on WCR population dynamics. Resistance monitoring for the three MOAs expressed in SmartStax(r) PRO and management of WCR within an IPM framework will be fundamental to guarantee the durability of these traits, ensuring available WCR control measures in upcoming years. Finally, continued exploration into the WCR RNAi mechanisms (i.e., uptake gene silencing, and systemic spread) will benefit the search for putative routes of resistance, inform mitigation strategies, and perhaps lead to the development of efficient monitoring strategies utilizing bioinformatics and molecular approaches. In addition, an understanding of WCR RNAi mechanisms could provide insights into the efficiency (or lack thereof) in other insect pests, potentially providing paths for innovation. The development and validation of parental and reproductive RNAi have demonstrated the flexibility that RNAi could provide for insect pest management, representing a new approach to mitigating insect damage and a complementary approach to larvicidal RNAi. The specificity of RNAi technologies continues to move agriculture towards more environmentally friendly insecticides. The lessons learned with WCR, the first insect to be targeted with an RNAi technology, can serve as an example for the development of novel RNAi insecticides in other insect pests, providing a safe and efficient MOA. Conceptualization and writing project administration, A.M.V. ; writing, A.M.V., M.D., J.D.R., A.S., A.L.L., P.R., C.J.B., J.R.F., J.M.R., J.S.P. and K.E.N. ; reviewing and editing, A.M.V., M.D., J.D.R., A.S., J.S.P., C.J.B., J.M.R. and K.E.N. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. This research received no external funding. Not applicable. No new data were created or analyzed in this study. Data sharing is not applicable to this article. [PERSON] has received research funding related to RNAi in western corn rootworm from Dow AgroSciences, DuPont Pioneer, Monsanto Company, Corteva Agricsience, Bayer Crop Science, and GreenLight Biosciences; some of these results are reported in this review. She also holds six RNAi patents. Graduate research on RNAi in western corn rootworm conducted by [PERSON] was funded by Bayer Crop Science. [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON] and [PERSON] work at Corteva Agricsience. [PERSON], [PERSON] and [PERSON] work at Bayer Crop Science. [PERSON] works at Greenlight Biosciences and holds multiple RNAi patents. The information and views represented in this review are those of the authors as individuals and experts in the field and do not necessarily represent those of their organizations. The mention of a product does not constitute an endorsement or a recommendation for its use.