Potential role for dog fleas in the cycle of Leishmania spp.

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

Infestación natural de Lonchaeidae (Diptera) en variedades de melocotón

Se estudió la ocurrencia de Lonchaeidae en variedades de melocotón, conducidos sobre los patrones ‘Okinawa’ y Umê: Tropical, Ouromel 3, Jóia 4, Régis, Talismã, Aurora 2, Aurora 1, Dourado 2 y Doçura 2. Se colectaron muestras de 30 frutos por planta en el Banco de Germoplasma en Presidente Prudente, Brasil. Se obtuvieron 633 especímenes de Lonchaeidae; 394 de ellos en frutos de variedades sobre ‘Okinawa’ y 239 sobre Umê. Se capturaron especies como Neosilba zadolicha, N. inesperata, N. pendula, N. certa y Neosilba spp. (hembras). N. zadolicha y N. inesperata, se observaron en 77,78% de las muestras de las variedades sobre ‘Okinawa’. Sobre el patrón Umê la mayor incidencia fue de N. zadolicha , N. inesperata y N. pendula (55,6%, 33,3% y 33,3% respectivamente). Las variedades Ouromel 3, Talismã, Doçura 2 y Aurora 2 presentaron mayores infestaciones por Lonchaeidae. N. certa tuvo una menor incidencia y sólo se observó en la variedad Doçura 2 sobre ‘Okinawa’. Plantas con mayor número de frutos presentaron mayor incidencia de moscas por fruto; sin embargo, no hubo correlación entre peso del fruto y número de moscas. No se observó diferencia para peso del fruto y número de moscas por fruto entre los dos patrones, ‘Okinawa’ y Umê. Melocotones crecidos en los patrones ‘Okinawa’ y Umê en Presidente Prudente están infestados por especies de Lonchaeidae que presentan preferencia independientemente del peso de los frutos. El aporte de este trabajo al conocimiento de la comunidad de especies de Lonchaeidae ofrece una base para su control.

Faunal analysis of the species Anastrepha in the fruit growing complex Gaviao River, Bahia, Brazil

Besides being considered the greatest pests of fruit growing, fruit flies constitute a large obstacle to the growth of the exportation of fresh fruit. Knowledge of the structure of fruit fly communities is of great importance to the bioecological studies of these insects, but there is a lack of information about the faunistic composition of fruit flies in Brazil. The objective of this work was to analysis the composition of the species of Anastrepha, in eleven mango orchards of the fruit growing complex Gaviao River, Bahia, Brazil. These studies were done in 2004 and 2005, in Anage, Caraibas and Belo Campo town, 23 McPhail traps, which collected 798 female fruit flies from the genus Anastrepha. The structure of these communities was evaluated in each orchard by means of faunistic indexes frequency, constancy, dominance, diversity and similarity. The number of species varied from four to eight in each orchard; and the following species was recorded: Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann), Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart), Anastrepha dissimilis Stone, Anastrepha amita Zucchi, Anastrepha distincta Greene, Anastrepha pickeli Lima. Anastrepha sororcula Zucchi and Anastrepha zenildae Zucchi. The most frequent and dominant species were A. fraterculus and A. obliqua. The indexes of diversity varied from 1.01 to 1.62. In general, the similarity between orchards was high (above 55.0%). We observed the formation of groups, one constituted by Frutvale, Carlan, Santa Clara and Panorama orchards; another composed of Cofet, Campo Gaviao and Ouro Verde and a third group formed by Boa Vista orchard. Barra da Onca and Arruda are distinguished from other orchards.

Plant glandular trichomes mediate protective mutualism in a spider-plant system

1. Although several species of Peucetia (Oxyopidae) live strictly in association with plants bearing glandular trichomes worldwide, to date little is known about whether these associations are mutualistic.2. In this study we manipulated the presence of Peucetia flava on the glandular plant Rhynchanthera dichotoma in the rainy and post-rain season, to test the strength of its effects on leaf, bud, and flower damage and plant reproductive output. In addition, we ran independent field experiments to examine whether these sticky structures improve spider fidelity to plants.3. Peucetia suppressed some species of foliar phytophages, but not others. Although spiders have reduced levels of leaf herbivory, this phenomenon was temporally conditional, i.e. occurred only in the post-rain but not in the rainy season. Floral herbivory was also reduced in the presence of spiders, but these predators did not affect plant fitness components.4. Plants that had their glandular trichomes removed retained fewer insects than those bearing such structures. Spiders remained longer on plants with glandular trichomes than on plants in which these structures had been removed. Isotopic analyses showed that spiders that fed on live and dead labelled flies adhered to the glandular hairs in similar proportions.5. Spiders incurred no costs to the plants, but can potentially increase individual plant fitness by reducing damage to reproductive tissues. Temporal conditionality probably occurred because plant productivity exceeded herbivore consumption, thus dampening top-down effects. Specialisation to live on glandular plants may have favoured scavenging behaviour in Peucetia, possibly an adaptation to periods of food scarcity.

Reproductive biology in the primitive relic Angiosperm Drimys brasiliensis (Winteraceae)

From field observations on Drimys brasiliensis, principally in the Botucatu region of São Paulo State, Brazil, new data on the reproductive biology, the rhythm of growth, and the development of lateral cymose inflorescences, flowers and fruits are presented. Pollination accelerates the rate of flower-development for about 4-6 days. Pollination experiments show that D. brasiliensis is not self-sterile; because of mechanical devices the sticky pollen grains do not normally come into contact with the stigmata unless an animal pollen vector is involved. The pollinators are diurnal Coleoptera, Diptera and Thysanoptera which eat from the pollen, lick from the stigmatic exudates and (in case of the flies) probably also from the staminal glands. Fruit- and seedeaters are birds which seem to be the main dispersal agents. Establishment of new individuals normally is through seedlings, but also by vegetative propagation through plagiotropous branches which may root and separate from the mother plant. The morphological, developmental and reproductive aspects in D. brasiliensis are discussed in a wider context, compared with data from other Magnoliidae, and related to aspects of early Angiosperm evolution. © 1980 Springer-Verlag.

Duration of Protopolybia exigua exigua (de Saussure) nests and related aspects as influenced by phorid fly infestation (vespidae, polistinae, epiponini)

The main characteristics of 55 nests of Protopolybia exigua exigua were periodically evaluated in Ribeirão Preto, southeastern Brazil. Although the queens' life-span can eventually reach one year, nests barely thrive for six months because most of them are periodically invaded by the scavenger phorid fly, Megaselia aff. picta. Under heavy infestation the adult wasp population partially closes the nest entrance, migrates and constructs a new nest in the neighborhood. Afterwards the old-nest's entrance can be completely closed by the wasps which results in blocking the parasitoid flies inside. In the tropics, predation by ants is considered the main selective pressure which shaped most of the bionomic characteristics of Polistinae wasps. It is suggested that Megaselia can easily overcome the usual wasps defensive tactics just because they are so specialized against ants. Aerial raids, fast erratic-jerking movements, rapid and efficient oviposition behavior, etc. can eventually turn Megaselia into a very important enemy of some social wasps.

Differentiation of floral color and odor in two fly pollinated species of Metrodorea (Rutaceae) from Brazil

We investigated if differences in morphological characters in two species of Metrodorea (Rutaceae) from Brazilian semideciduous forests correspond to some pollination divergence. M. nigra and M. stipularis are sympatric species, display a similar floral morphology, are protandrous, self-incompatible, their flower periods overlap, and both are pollinated by flies. M. nigra main pollinators are Pseudoptiloleps nigripoda (Muscidae) and Fannia sp. (Fanniidae); M. stipularis major pollinators are Phaenicia eximia (Calliphoridae), Palpada sp. and Ornidia obesa (Syrphidae). The distinct floral odor (disagreeable in M. nigra and sweet in M. stipularis) and color (brownish violet vs. pale yellow) determine the differences on type and number of floral visitors observed. Several species from semideciduous forests initially considered to be pollinated by diverse insects, present flies as main pollinators, stressing the importance of fly pollination in such habitats.

Effect of stannous chloride combined with caffeine on fecundity of Drosophila prosaltans

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Morphometric variations in the housefly, Musca domestica (L.) with latitude

Morphologic analysis of geographic strains of Musca domestica carried out on natural and laboratory experiments starting with 400 and 800 eggs showed phenotypic variations related with latitude. Females of the natural populations showed clines for several morphological traits of the wing, whereas male flies showed a reduction in the dispersion measures (s2 and CV) of wing width and length. The same reduction was obtained for males, females and total number of flies of the natural populations in dispersion of the number of bristles on the fourth abdominal sternite. A significant negative correlation was observed for the head width of females and for the total number of flies emerged in the laboratory experiments started with 400 eggs. All flies produced by the experiments starting with 800 eggs showed a reduction in variability of dispersion of the bristles on the fourth abdominal sternite in the strains obtained from locations south of the area analyzed. Evolutionary aspects of these correlation coefficients between morphometric traits and latitude are discussed.

Wolbachia endosymbiont in a species of the Anastrepha fraterculus complex (Diptera: Tephritidae)

In Anastrepha sp.2 aff. fraterculus, the egg-cell harbours a large population of endosymbionts. The bacteria were identified as belonging to genus Wolbachia by PCR assay using primers of the ftsZ gene followed by sequencing of the amplified band. Newly deposited eggs stained in toto by Hoechst show that the bacteria are unevenly dispersed throughout the egg-cell, with a higher accumulation at the posterior pole, and that the degree of infestation varies from egg to egg. Analysis by transmission electron microscopy shows that bacteria are present in the female germ line of embryonic and larval stages, as well as in the different cell types of the ovaries at the adult stage. Mature ova within the follicles harbour a large population of the symbionts. The results indicate the existence of a transovarian transmission of the endosymbionts in this fly.

Spatial pattern of parasitism in Diatraea saccharalis Fab. (Lep., Crambidae) populations at two different spatial scales in sugarcane fields in Brazil

The biological control of Diatraea saccharalis is regarded as one of the best examples of successful classical biological control in Brazil. Since the introduction of the exotic parasitoid, Cotesia flavipes, the decrease in D. saccharalis infestation in sugarcane fields has been attributed to the effectiveness of this agent. Native Tachinidae fly parasitoids (Lydella minense and Paratheresia claripalpis) have also been implicated in the success. Quantitative data confirming the actual contribution of these agents to the control of D. saccharalis are, however, rather scant. The purpose of this study was to investigate the spatial pattern of parasitism of these parasitoids in D. saccharalis populations at two large spatial scales (fields and zones). To investigate this subject, a large data set comprising information collected from a sugarcane mill located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil (São João sugarcane mill) was analysed. When regressions between the proportion parasitism against host density were computed, the percentage of significant regressions with either a positive or a negative slope was very small at both spatial scales for both parasitoid species. Regressing the densities of tachinid-parasitized hosts against host densities per field showed that these parasitoids presented a 'moderate aggregative' response to host densities, as 53.33% of the regressions were positively significant. Cotesia flavipes was 'weakly aggregated' on host densities at the field level, because only 33.33% of the regressions were positively significant. At the zone level, neither aggregative nor spatial proportion parasitism responses were evident for either parasitoid species due to the small percentage of significant regressions computed.

Farming technology, biochemistry characterization, and protective effects of culinary-medicinal mushrooms Agaricus brasiliensis S. Wasser et al. and Lentinus edodes (Berk.) Singer: Five years of research in Brazil

The biotechnology, biochemical characterization, and protective effects of the himematsutake and shiitake mushrooms were studied for the Thematic Project, from 1998 to 2003. A new species, Agaricus Brasiliens is Wasser et al. (= A. blazei Murrill ss. Heinem.), was proposed for the cultivated lineages in Brazil. Interactions among lineages, substrates, casing layers, and fructification inductions (temperature alternations) significantly increased the productivity of A. brasiliensis in Brazil (from 40 g to 200 g of fresh mushroom kg -1 moist compost). However, pests and diseases (mainly Sciaridae flies and false truffle), drastically reduced the productivity of A. brasiliensis (below 50 g kg -1). Biochemically for each mushroom species, the polar extracts, no polars, and medium polarity presented the same organic substances; however, their concentrations differed as a result of the lineages, maturation of the fruit bodies, and cultivation conditions. In this aspect, concentration of linoleic acid in A. brasiliensis (added to animal food) was related directly to the chemical protection against carcinogenic drugs in mice. Aqueous extracts of Lentinus edodes (= Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler) and A. brasiliensis may be preventive chemical protectors against mutagenic and carcinogenic drugs, depending on the lineage and extraction method (tea or juice). However, immunomodulator effects and tumor reduction were only observed with concentrated fractions (hexanic, methanolic, and ATF extracts). Aqueous extracts of A. brasiliensis and L. edodes have antibiotic-like substances and substances able to act as elicitors of resistance responses in some plants (local and systemic) and show a potential to be used in the alternative control of plant pathogens. © 2005 by Begell House, Inc.

Changes in amounts of total salivary gland proteins of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) according to age and diet

Saliva plays important roles in facilitation of a bloodmeal, lubrication of mouthparts, and parasite transmission for some vector insects. Salivary composition changes during the lifetime of an insect, and differences in the salivary profile may influence its functions. In this report, the amount and profile of salivary gland protein of the American visceral leishmaniasis vector Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) were analyzed at different times of insect development and diet. Protein content from unfed female sand flies increased significantly with age, and a significant difference was observed in sugar-fed females during the first 10 d of adult life. Salivary protein content sharply decreased 1 d after blood feeding, with gradual increase in concentration the following days. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that most polypeptides present in the saliva of sugar-fed also were present in the saliva of blood-fed females. Understanding changes in sand fly's saliva contents at distinct days after emergence and the influence of a bloodmeal in this aspect may reveal the role played by saliva during leishmaniasis transmission. © 2008 Entomological Society of America.

Compostagem de resíduos sólidos de frigorífico

Composting has been a viable and efficient alternative treatment to agroindustrial waste. This experiment was installed with the objective of analyzing the process of composting for slaughterhouse waste. Twelve piles of composting were prepared, using slaughterhouse waste, wheat straw and wood sawdust. The process was evaluated by daily temperature monitoring, observations of the occurrence of undesirable parameters (bad smell and/or ammoniacal smell, grease formation and presence of grubs and flies), as well as the capacity of recycling nutrients. The undesirable parameters were observed, on average, for the first five days after pile building; the temperatures increased, reaching 70 °C; chemical composition of compost showed relevant contents of macro and micronutrients, a high recycling potential. Utilization of impermeable floor and roof are recommended during the composting. The turning frequency used (15 days after pile building followed by turning) was adequate. The best relation of weight was 7.2 kg of waste for each kg of straw and 16.6 kg of waste for each kg of sawdust.

Pasteuriza̧ão de turfa brasileira para o cultivo de Agaricus brasiliensis

Agaricus brasiliensis is a Brazilian basidiomycete which has been cultivated and consumed around the world as a therapeutic food. Casing layer is one of the most important steps on A. brasiliensis cultivation and European peat is the most used casing layer on Agaricus bisporus cultivation. Besides the importance of it on mushroom cultivation the peat import could be a risk of exotic organism introduction. Alternative as Brazilian peat is barely used for mushroom growers in Brazil. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate Brazilian peat with and without pasteurization as casing layer on A. brasiliensis cultivation. The fungus was previously grown on wheat grains and transferred to a substratum prepared by composted traditional method. After mycelium colonization of the substratum a pasteurized or non pasteurized Brazilian peat (casing layer) was added. It was concluded that pasteurization of the casing layer increases in 30% yield after 65 days of cultivation. There is no difference of yield for pasteurized and non pasteurized casing layer until 30 days of cultivation. An increase of flies is observed in non pasteurized casing layer. The production flush is easily perceived with pasteurized casing layer but not with non pasteurized casing layer.