Synergism and Antagonism between Bacillus thuringiensis Vip3A and Cry1 Proteins in Heliothis virescens, Diatraea saccharalis and Spodoptera frugiperda

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Diversity and Localization of Bacterial Endosymbionts from Whitefly Species Collected in Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Spermatogenesis of riffle bugs, Rhagovelia whitei and Rhagovelia sp (Veliidae), and backswimmers Martarega sp (Notonectidae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

LASIODERMA SERRICORNE (COLEOPTERA: ANOBIIDAE) IN STORED MATRICARIA RECUTITA (ASTERACEAE) IN BRAZIL

Insects pests of stored products and by-products are extending their feeding preferences to new items. We report for the first time in Brazil the feeding and reproduction of the cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne F. (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) on stored chamomile, Matricaria recutita L. (Asteraceae). One intact package (10 cm wide x 15 cm long) of M. recutita infested by L. serricorne was purchased in a supermarket in Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. In this sample this insect had fed on the dried parts (inflorescences and rods), which made the product unfit for human consumption. This 20 g sample included 101 live and 4 dead Lasioderma serricorne. Circumstantial evidence suggested that the infested material was probably harvested from an infested field in Apr 2013 and packaged with L. serricorne eggs, and that these had developed into the adults found in the package.

Palmistichus elaeisis (Delvare & LaSalle, 1993) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), possible agent for the biological control of Urbanus proteus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Non-preference for oviposition and antibiosis in bean cultivars to Bemisia tabaci biotype B (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Botanical extracts: alternative control for silverleaf whitefly management in tomato

Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) biotype B is one of the most limiting pests of tomato crops in the world. Tomato yield is currently dependent on the use of pesticides, which are problematic to farmers, consumers and the environment. A promising alternative to reduce the harmful effects caused by the indiscriminated use of synthetic insecticides is the use of insecticides of botanical origin. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 3% (w/v) aqueous extracts from different structures of thirteen botanical species on the behavior of B. tabaci biotype B adults, as well as insecticidal activity of such aqueous extracts on B. tabaci eggs, nymphs, and adults infesting tomato plants. A distilled water solution was used as a negative control, and thiamethoxam insecticide (18 g/100 L of water) as a positive control. Leaf extract of Toona ciliata was observed to have the most efficient inhibitory effect in tests of extracts on whitefly behavior. Furthermore, the use of leaf extract of Toona ciliata led to the most drastic reduction in the number of adults and eggs on tomato leaflets. Leaf extract of Piper aduncum led to the greatest observed ovicidal effect (78.00% of non-hatched nymphs); however it was not effective against nymphs and adults. The leaf extracts of Trichilia pallida, Trichilia casaretti, and Toona ciliata showed the highest control indexes (67.9, 60.3, and 55.1%, respectively). For adults mortality, T. pallida was the most effective (72.8%). Our results indicate that application of extracts of T. pallida, T. ciliata, and T. casaretti are promising strategies to manage B. tabaci biotype B on tomato.

Anotação de 500 ESTs da saúva Atta laevigata

Leaf-cutting ants belonging to the genus Atta occur from the tropical to subtropical regions of the Americas. These insects are considered pests because they cause serious damage in agricultural areas. Among these, stands out Atta laevigata, species which the colony requires a huge amount of leaves to grow its symbiotic fungus which is the main food source of the nest. Thus, the study of the transcriptome of these ants becomes a useful tool, because it is possible to identify proteins potentially involved with their skills as insect pests and also those related to differences between the varieties present in the nests. In the present study we described results of the partial analysis of the transcriptome of the leaf-cutting ant pest A. laevigata, from cDNA sequences previously generated in the Laboratory of Evolution and Molecular (LEM). The results may also be used for molecular, ecological, metabolic and evolutionary studies about ants, and heterologous expression of important proteins as molecular targets for the control of some leafcutting agricultural pests.

Fungos melanizados associados a formigas cortadeiras (Formicidae: Tribo Attini)

Leafcutter ants are considered pests in agriculture for their impact in human crops, as they behave utilizing foliar fragments to raise their simbiont fungi (Agaricales: Lepiotaceae) inside their nest. Recent studies have noticed that other fungi may be associated to ants inside their nests, for instance, fungi with melanized wall, known by “dematiaceous”. Historically, many black fungi have been noticed as fitopathogens of many plant cultures with economic importance, highlighting dematiaceous ecological behavior importance in this study. This investigation had the purpose of amplifying ecological knowledge of this fungi, isolating and identificating dematiaceous fungi found in Attini nests, having the intention of understanding plant pathogens dispersion by ants. In this work, 66 isolates were characterized in the following genus: Aspergillus, Penicillium, Paecilomyces, Oxyporus, Rhodotorula, Bipolaris, Curvularia, Fusarium, Giberella, Paraphaeosphaeria, and Cladosporium. The genus Bipolaris, Curvularia, Fusarium and Giberella are known for their opportunistic behaviour, with some published human infections in literature. Fusarium is a notorious fitopathogen, with wide number of descriptions and studies involving pathogenicity development, biochemistry and genetics. The isolates outline is of phyto – associated (phytopathogens, endophytic or epiphitic), fulfilling this work intention in alarming fungi capacity of dispersal by ants. The comprehension of phytopathogenical processes may be clarified based on the knowledge of oportunistics fungi that may utilize ants bodies for their own dispersal. The identification of isolates with capacity of infecting humans brings out public health issues.

Análise morfológica de operárias de Atta sexdens rubropilosa tratadas com thiamethoxam

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Avaliação do efeito tóxico do herbicida trifluralina por meio do estudo histológico e histoquímico do intestino médio do diplópodo Rhinocricus padbergi

Currently the use of pesticides in agriculture is widespread due to their high effectiveness in combating pests, weeds and diseases leading to better productivity and economical performance in agricultural area. The use of pesticides affects the whole world and their use is often performed in an improper and indiscriminate way and for long periods. Several studies have been carried out in order to verify the presence of pesticides in nature, with worrying results. The presence of higher levels of pesticides and their degradation products in soil and surface and groundwater have indicated increasing contamination. Among the most widely used pesticides, herbicides are present and among these trifluralin has occupied an important place due to its widespread use; it is an herbicide originated from benzene derivatives belonging to dinitroanilines family; it is classified as belonging to group C, being possibly carcinogenic for humans, present a high persistence in soil as a result of its low mobility and therefore may affect local edaphic fauna. Diplopods belong to a group of invertebrates considered important in the soil dynamics; due to their close contact with it, these animals can be used as bioindicators of substrates toxicity. This study aimed to expose diplopod specimens of the species R. padbergi to different concentrations of trifluralin and therefore it was mounted five bioassays containing soil from the site where animals were collected (control group) and the same soil mixed to different concentrations of trifluralin herbicide (concentration recommended for agriculture use, that is, the dose recommended by the producer 0.0534g/m2, double, haft and quarter of this dose), animals were exposed for 7 and 90 days. During the entire period of exposure (90 days), it was observed that the number of animals in the control bioassay remained stable until the 5th week, presenting only... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Estudo da ação do inseticida Tiametoxam na sobrevivência e no comportamento de operárias de Apis mellifera L., 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) em diferentes idades

The bee Apis mellifera has a great importance because it is the most economically valuable pollinator for crops worldwide, ensuring cross-pollination and increasing fruit yield. Moreover, agriculture increasingly develops chemicals to control weeds, fungi and insect pests to ensure productivity. Insecticides are used on a large scale in the state of São Paulo, in cultures of citrus for control of greening. Applications are usually made by aircraft and as a result of the effect derives a significant mortality is observed in apiaries near the plantations. Honey bees can get in contact with such chemical agent through their activities of water harvesting, plant resins, pollen and nectar. Intoxication resulting from this exposure can be lethal, which is easily detectable, or cause effects on the physiology and behavior of the insect. These, in turn are hardly detectable, such as paralysis, disorientation, behavioral changes, but can compromise the entire social structure of the colony, therefore aimed to study the effects of the insecticide Thiamethoxam behavior of honeybees A. mellifera. Newly emerged individuals and with 10 days of age were tested. Applications of 1 μL de Thiamethoxam, diluted in acetone, were made on the dorsal thorax with a microapplicator. Preliminarily, it was observed LD50 twenty four hours after topical treatment of Thiamethoxam. It was found that the LD50 for newly emerged honeybees is 8 ng/bee and for honeybees with 10 days of age is 18 ng/bee. The behaviors were analyzed 1 hour after application of insecticide at doses corresponding to LD50/100, LD50/50, LD50/10 and LD50, besides the control group. In the test reflex proboscis extension, there was impairment of behavior at doses of 8 and 18 ng/bee workers in newly emerged workers and 10 days of age, respectively. And in locomotor behavior was no change only at a dose of 18 ng/bee workers at 10 days of age... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Comunidade de formigas (Hymenoptera: formicidae) em cultivo de videiras no município de São Roque - São Paulo

The cultivation of grapes is one of the most traditional cultures and the world's oldest one. In Brazil, cultivars occupy an area of approximately 90 thousand hectares, covering the south, southeast and northeast, in latitudes ranging from 30 º 56 '15''S up to 5 º 11' 15''S. The culture of the vine may be the target of the attack of some diseases and pests, and currently the main concern for growers is the subterranean mealybug, Eurhizococcus brasiliensis (Hemiptera: Margarodidae), known as pearl-ground. This arthropod infests the roots causing a progressive languish of the vine, even causes its death. In southern Brazil it is known that some species of ants can disperse pearl-ground for short distances, however, there is no information about that in the State of Sao Paulo. Thus, it is extremely important to perform studies with this focus on wine regions in this State. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the species of underground ant community in different grape varieties found in vineyards in the town of São Roque – SP, Brazil. With that purpose, samples were collected within one year. We used underground pitfalls spread across twelve points. In each of the points were placed two traps, one containing honey and the other containing sardine as attractive. The results revealed the presence of three morphospecies of ants in Niágara Rosada and four in other grape varieties, there was no significant difference in the species richness among the cultivars (Kruskal-Wallis - 0.33, p = 0.5). In both trials, the most frequent species was Brachymyrmex sp.4, suggesting that there is no dominance of distinct species of Niágara Rosada and the other grape varieties. There was no dissimilarity in species richness of the ones visiting honey or sardines (Kruskal-Wallis - 0.08, p = 0.7) and the analysis of variance indicated a great similarity in species richness between the rainy and dry seasons (Kruskal-Wallis - 0.09, p = 0.7)

Fatores e mecanismos que influenciam a resistência em soja a Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner e Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith)

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Entomologia Agrícola) - FCAV

Aplicação de produtos fitossanitários na cultura dos citros utilizando pulverizador envolvente

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Produção Vegetal) - FCAV