Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT We report for the first time field infestation under natural conditions by Anastrepha bahiensis on star fruit (Averrhoa carambola L., Oxalidaceae) in the state of Pará, Eastern Amazon, Brazil. This report reinforces the importance of field infestation studies on fruit flies in the Brazilian Amazon.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT American bollworm (ABW), Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner), is considered as a major pest of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum, all over the globe. Due to its destructive feeding nature and continuous consumption of the same chemicals, it devolved resistant against many insecticides. Therefore, a combined application of bio- and synthetic-pesticide need to evaluate against this pest. The entomopathogenic viruses like nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV), a member of baculoviruses, can be the potential candidates for better control against ABW. The present study was conducted to assess the comparative efficacy of NPV and Spinosad 240SC (with the concentration of 250 mL · ha-1) against ABW in the controlled environment. The ABW was treated with different concentrations of NPV and Spinosad separately and in a combination of NPV with 0.1% Spinosad. The results revealed that highest concentrations showed highest mortality (95%) followed by 95%, 92%, 84%, 82% and 78% mortality at 1 × 109, 1 × 108, 1 × 107, 1 × 106 and 1 × 105 POBs, respectively. Spinosad when mixed in diet give 100% mortality at 0.8% followed by 50.87%, 42.10%, 29.82%, 26.31% and 22.80% mortality at 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1%, 0.5% and 0.025% respectively. The results of this study revealed that microbial control of ABW through NPV is an effective tool. The repeated use of synthetic pesticides caused the resurgence of many insect pests, and this study results would provide useful insight to build a framework for future investigations for the management of many major insect pests.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Plant indirect induced defenses against herbivores are characterized by the production of plant volatiles that to attract natural enemies. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the attack of the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae or the multiple herbivory of T. urticae together with the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda are able to elicit indirect induced defense in conventional and Bt maize plants. The experiment was carried out in the laboratory using Y-tube olfactometer, evaluating the predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus olfactory preference for plant volatiles. The treatments involved: Clean Conventional Plant; Conventional Plant Infested with T. urticae; Clean Bt Plant; Bt Plant Infested with T. urticae; Conventional Plant Infested with T. urticae + fall armyworm; Bt Plant Infested with T. urticae + fall armyworm. For the chemical analyzes the Trace GC Ultra gas chromatograph was used, paired with the Polaris Q mass spectrometer, GC - MS system. Neoseiulus californicus was also unable to distinguish between volatiles from both conventional and Bt infested maize plants. Moreover, there was no discrimination of the predator mite between plants under single and multiple infestations, both in conventional and Bt maize. When comparing conventional and Bt plants, both with multiple infestation, the predator mite N. californicus had no preference among these sources of odors. However, there was observed chemical changes of the volatiles among the groups of plants studied. Thus, it is suggested that the groups of plants under study have chemical modifications, but they are not able to attract N. californicus. In addition, Bt plants response was similar to conventional plants on attracting N. californicus.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Leaf-cutting ants are controlled with toxic baits. For the method’s greater efficiency, the baits must be distributed and processed by workers during fungus cultivation. To test hypotheses whether the mode of action of the active ingredients, which blocks the sodium channels and interrupts the production of ATP in the mitochondria, interferes with fragment distribution in nests; the dispersion of pellets fragments during fungus cultivation by workers was assessed, spatially referencing the fragment onto the fungus garden. Pellets fragments were randomly distributed, but the amount pellets fragments was influenced by the way that the active ingredient acts in the colony.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Ants can influence soil fertility and the spatial distribution of seeds, with possible effects on seedling recruitment. The ant species Pachycondyla striata Fr. Smith, 1858 and Odontomachus chelifer (Latreille, 1802) co-occur in many forest areas in the Neotropics. We assessed soil fertility and seed bank structure in soil samples close and distant (control) from ant nests in forest fragments. We also assessed the richness and abundance of seedlings on nests and control sites. In soil samples from ant nests, the concentration of phosphorus and potassium were respectively 55.6% and 36% higher than in control sites. Aluminium was 11-15% lower in soil samples from ant nests. In the greenhouse, soils from ant nests had higher plant abundance and species richness, but the same species composition in comparison with control sites. Although more plants emerged from soil samples of O. chelifer nests, in the field, the density and richness of seedlings were similar for the two ant species studied. Seedlings in the nest sites were, on average, 1.8 times more abundant and 1.6 times richer in species than in control sites. Our results showed that ant species can play a key role in seedling recruitment in forest fragments, where other animals with equivalent and positive effects, such as mammals, are missing.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Bactrocera carambolae is a quarantine pest found in Brazil, restricted to the states of Amapá, Pará and Roraima. This fruit fly can potentially cause extensive socioeconomic and environmental damage in the country, if it disperse into areas where fruit is grown for exporting. The objective of this work was to study the biology of B. carambolae on fruits of Averrhoa carambola L. (Oxalidaceae), Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae), Spondias mombin L. (Anacardiaceae) and Eugenia stipitata McVaugh (Myrtaceae). The following parameters were investigated: duration of egg-larva, pupal, egg-adult, pre-oviposition, oviposition and post-oviposition periods, pupal weight and viability, sex ratio, fecundity, fertility and longevity. All parameters except pupal weight, oviposition and post-oviposition period, egg fertility and sex ratio were influenced by the host plant on which the larvae were reared. The carambola fruit fly completes its development on all those hosts studied here, with the highest fecundities on A. carambola and P. guajava.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT The owlet moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Anicla infecta (Ochsenheimer 1816), Elaphria agrotina (Guenée 1852) and Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith 1797) occur in the entire American continent. These polyphagous moths have a preference for grasses, and have different biological habits. In this study, the populations of these three species were evaluated monthly with light traps in the Brazilian Savannah, ranging a span of four crop seasons (from July, 2013 to June, 2017). The population data were analyzed and correlated with the meteorological variables: maximum temperature, minimum temperature, relative humidity and precipitation. A total of 4719 individuals were collected in the following percentages: A. infecta (n = 459; 9.73%), E. agrotina (n = 1809; 38.33%) and S. frugiperda (n = 2451; (51.94%). The abundance of all species went down from the first crop season (2013/2014) to the third (2015/2016). In the fourth crop season (2016/2017), the populations of A. infecta and E. agrotina stabilized, but the abundance of S. frugiperda experienced further decrease. The numbers of individuals of three species declined when precipitation was much above (crop season 2014/2015) and below (crop season 2015/2016) than expected by the climatological normal. There were significant, but different degrees of correlation, between the meteorological factors and the ONI index (Oceanic Niño Index - indicator for monitoring El Niño-Southern Oscillation or “ENSO”) with respect to monthly population variations. The results are discussed in accordance with principles of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in mind, given the continental distribution and agricultural importance of the three owlet moth species studied.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Mantises can live for many months, are naturally voracious, and feed invariably on live prey. Many species have a propensity for cannibalism and cannot be kept together for most of their life cycle, which makes large-scale rearing typically time-consuming, thus easily becoming prohibitive. This is particularly true for early instars, because they are the most abundant stage of a developmental cohort. Such limitation hinders research on Mantodea which depend on live individuals, such as behavior, physiology, ontogeny, and others. In this work, a simple, low-maintenance “self-service” device is described, which is greatly effective in reducing the time needed for keeping live, individual, small to medium-sized mantises. Trial and error usage and modifications along eight years lead to many improvements, resulting in a nearly optimal device for its target purpose. The final model allows rearing large numbers of mantises while demanding only a fraction of the time demanded by conventional rearing techniques. Key advantages include prevention of cannibalism, the possibility of monitoring mantises individually, and full functioning autonomy of up to several weeks. The new device has ample potential in stimulating and supporting Mantodea research on diverse areas.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Wasps are a diverse group of insects that possess a sting apparatus associated with a venom gland, which is used for predation and colony defense. The biochemistry of Hymenoptera venom has been evaluated in relation to allergy and immunology, and proteomics has been shown to be a powerful tool for the identification of compounds with pharmacological potential. Data on wasps venom the of genus Apoica are scarce, so the objective of the present work was to identify the venom proteins of the eusocial wasp Apoica pallens, as a first step towards further investigation of applied uses of the venom and its protein constituents. The venom proteins were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, followed by MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. A total of 259 spots were detected, with molecular weights from 4.9 to 141 kDa. Thirty of these proteins were identified and classified into eight functional categories: allergen, enzyme, metabolism, structural, environmental response, proteoglycan, active in DNA and RNA, and unknown function. Due to the few available proteomic data for wasp venom, many proteins could not be identified, which makes studies with proteomic analysis of Hymenoptera venom even more important.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Some species of Cyclocephala Dejean, 1821 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae, Cyclocephalini) were reported as crop or pasture pests. Within this genus, Cyclocephla tucumana Bréthes, 1904 was noticed in cultivated areas in South Brazil, 2009 − 2010. Other study found larvae of the species associated with pastures in Aquidauana, Mato Grasso do Sul State (MS), 2009. In the present study, larvae of C. tucumana were collected in pasture areas from August 2015 to July 2016, in Cassilândia, MS. The material was reared in laboratory for the description of immatures, and the regional population was studied to clarify its dynamics. Immatures were abundant throughout the years and are described for the first time. Taxonomic discussion, updated key to larvae and pupae, and a teratological note are also added.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT A new species of the genus Dasmeusa Melichar, 1926 is described and illustrated from specimens collected in the State of Amazonas, Northern Brazil. Dasmeusa imperialis sp. nov. can be distinguished from the five known species of the genus, as well as from those of closely related genera, by the following combination of features: dorsum yellow with orange, preapical transverse irregular stripe on forewing; male pygofer moderately produced posteriorly, with posterior margin broadly rounded; style without preapical lobe, narrow and truncate apically; aedeagus with robust apical process directed ventrally, ventral margin of this process dentate; paraphyses with pair of dorsal dentiform projections on stalk, rami slender and directed posterodorsally; posterior margin of female sternite VII with small quadrate lobe; first ovipositor valvula with dentiform apex; second ovipositor valvula with apical third directed ventrally. This paper includes the first detailed description and illustrations of the female terminalia of a Dasmeusa species. In addition, the known geographic distribution of the genus is presented; D. pauperata (Fabricius, 1803) is newly recorded from the Brazilian states of Roraima, Amazonas, Pará, Sergipe, and Bahia; the records from the last two states are interesting because they are from areas of Atlantic Forest. Previously, the genus was known only from the Amazon Forest.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT The genus RhophitulusDucke, 1907 is a large and complex group of bees of the tribe Protandrenini comprising small, slender, mostly black ground-nesting species that are restricted to South America. We describe a new species of Rhophitulus from Parque Nacional São Joaquim, Urubici, state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Rophitulus ater sp. nov. is distinctive and easily distinguished from other species of the genus by a unique combination of morphological characters in both sexes, but especially by the following: dull black body, coarsely and densely punctate integument, basal area of metapostnotum depressed and areolate rugose, posterior margin of hind tibia and pygidial fimbria of female with blackish pilosity, and characters of the male genitalia with hidden sterna. The new species is closely associated with Blumenbachia catharinensis (Loasaceae), which is restricted to cloud forest of the southeastern rim of Serra Geral. Flowers of B. catharinensis are pollen and nectar resources and mating sites for the new species.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Galls on Bauhinia cupulata (Fabaceae) were investigated in two physiognomies of the Cerrado, riparian and dry forest, in the municipality of Barreiras (Western Bahia, Brazil) from October 2012 to July 2014. Four insect gall morphotypes were found. They were characterized based on shape, color, indumentum, plant organ of occurrence and galling taxon. A new galling species, Schizomyia barreirensis, is described, illustrated (larva, pupa, male, female and gall) and compared to other Neotropical congeneric species.