Diversity and habitat preferences of Carabidae and Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in two agroecosystems

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

Effect of Diets on Biology of Abaris basistriata and Selenophorus seriatoporus (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Short-term assessment of bt maize on non-target arthropods in Brazil

Embora não haja cultivos comerciais de milho geneticamente modificado no Brasil, o efeito de híbridos de milho Bt sobre inimigos naturais e artrópodos de solo deve ser avaliado antes da liberação aos produtores. Assim, ensaios foram conduzidos durante uma safra em duas localidades. Os híbridos de milho modificado geneticamente 7590-Bt11 e Avant-ICP4 foram comparados com seus respectivos isogênicos não transgênicos. Os artrópodes foram avaliados através de observação direta nas plantas e armadilhas de alçapão. de modo geral, não se observaram diferenças entre as populações de tesourinha (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), joaninhas (Coleptera: Coccinellidae), percevejo-pirata (Coleoptera: Anthocoridae), carabídeos (Carabidae), cicindelídeos (Cicindelidae) e aranhas (Araneae). Também não houve diferença no parasitismo de ovos de Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) por Trichogramma sp. (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Assim, milho geneticamente modificado expressando as proteínas inseticidas Cry1A(b) e VIP 3A não causa redução nas populações dos principais predadores e parasitóides.

Dietas e conteúdo alimentar de alguns Carabidae (Coleoptera) observados na região nordeste do Estado de São Paulo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Insecta e Arachnida associados ao solo: plantas herbáceas como área de refúgio visando ao controle biológico conservativo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Performance and ruminal morphologic characteristics of Saanen kids fed ground, pelleted or extruded total ration

The aim of the present study was to determine feed intake and average weight gain and to evaluate the ruminal morphologic characteristics of Saanen kids slaughtered at 30, 45 and 60 days of age, according to a completely randomized design. Thirty-six non-castrated male Saanen kids were fed ground total ration, pelleted total ration, or extruded total ration. Feed intake and refusals were controlled daily and the animals were weighed at birth and then once a week. Newborn kids received a milk replacer and were weaned at 45 days. Immediately after slaughter, the animals were eviscerated, the entire digestive apparatus was removed from the carcass. The reticulo-rumen was separated, emptied, washed and weighed. Samples were collected from the dorsal sac, pillar area and ventral sac of the rumen, fixed for about 24h in Bouin's solution, dehydrated, embedded in Histosec and cut into 5 mu m sections. Results showed that dry matter intake (DMI) at weaning and post-weaning and weight gain were higher (P < 0.05) in animals that received the pelleted total ration. The weight of the reticulo-rumen accompanied body development and was heavier in these animals. Histologically, after weaning ruminal papillae were more developed in animals that received pelleted total ration. Length of papillae increased with increase of age. The ratio of papillary height to papillary width increased with age in the ventral sac and until weaning (P > 0.05). We conclude that the pelleting process of the total ration favored increased intake, with a 46.7% increase in weight gain and increase in rumen weight and papillae length, suggesting that best results are obtained with this processing. In general, no difference was observed between the results obtained with extruded and ground total ration, although animals fed extruded total ration showed an increase in rumen weight and papillae width. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Análise de fauna e flutuação populacional de Carabidae e Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) em sistemas de plantio direto e convencional

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

Performance of four tomato cultivars, with and without ground cover

The aim of the study was to evaluate the production of four tomato cultivars of determinate growth, in the field, with and without ground cover. The cultivars examined were: 'AP-533', 'AP-529', 'Hypeel 5131 and 'PS-41816', which were cultivated with a spacing of 1 m between rows and 0.4 m between plants. The experimental design utilized was that of subdivided parcels, where parcels were provided with and without a ground cover of black polyethylene, and subparcels consisted of the cultivars; eight repetitions were used. The eight central plants in the parcel were evaluated according to the following characteristics: fresh weight of fruit per plant and number of fruit per plant, separated by size. For the classification of fruit, the same plants were divided into classes based on the diameter of the fruit. The diameter size was as follows: class 1, 3 cm; class II, 4 cm; class III, 4.5 cm; and class IV, 5.5 cm. The results showed that there were no significant differences in production among the cultivars studied. Cultivars 'AP-533' and 'Hypeel 513' demonstrated greater production per plant, when ground cover was used, yielding 1474 and 1404 g/plant, respectively. When black polyethylene ground cover was not used, these cultivars produced 1258 and 1271 g of fruit per plant, respectively. The cultivars 'AP-529' and 'PS41818' showed a greater yield of fruit when cultivated without ground cover, with 1548 and 1663 g/plant, respectively. The cultivar 'Hypeel 513' had the highest percentage of fruit with the largest dimensions. An interaction was appeared between 'AP-529' and ground cover, where the production of this cultivar was lower with black polyethylene ground cover compared to bare ground. It is concluded that there are no significant differences in the cultivation of the tomato hybrids 'AP-533', 'Hypeel 513' and 'PS-41816' with and without ground cover, but that the cultivar 'AP-529' should be planted preferentially in soil without black polyethylene cover.

Comparison of four trap types for ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera, Scolytidae) in Brazilian Eucalyptus stands

Eucalyptus spp. plantations represent >60% of the reforested area in Brazil. Although ambrosia beetle attacks on live trees were at first nonexistent, they have begun to appear with greater frequency. Monitoring for pest insects is a key factor in integrated pest management, and baited traps are one of the most widely used methods for insect population detection and survey. We compared the efficiency of the most widely used trap in Brazil to survey for ambrosia beetles and other Scolytidae, the ESALQ-84 type, with other traditionally employed traps: the multiple funnel (Lindgren trap); drainpipe; and slot (Theyson) traps, in a Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden stand in Brazil. The ESALQ-84 trap was the most efficient in trapping Hypothenemus eruditus Westwood and Hypothenemus obscurus (F.); the multiple funnel trap caught significantly more Cryptocarenus diadematus Eggers; whereas the slot trap caught more Premnobius cavipennis Eichhoff and Xyleborus affinis Eichhoff than the other traps. The drainpipe trap was the least effective trap overall. When corrected for number of beetles caught per trap surface area, catches were significantly higher on the ESALQ-84 trap for the majority of the species analyzed, probably because of a smaller trap surface area. The slot trap was recommended for it caught overall more beetles of the three most economically important scolytid species in eucalypt plantations in Brazil, P. cavipennis, X. affinis, and X, ferrugineus.

Ambrosia and bark beetles (Scolytidae : Coleoptera) in pine and eucalypt stands in southern Brazil

More than 95% of the reforested area in Brazil is covered by exotic Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations. Native Scolytidae, mostly ambrosia beetles, appear to be rapidly adapting to these exotic trees, and reports of economic damage are becoming frequent. The objectives of our research were to survey, characterize and compare the Scolytidae fauna present in a P. taeda and an E. grandis stand in Telemaco Borba, Parana state, Brazil. Beetles were caught in ethanol baited ESALQ-84 vane traps in weekly collections from July 1995 until July 1997. In all, 87 species were trapped, 62 in the pine and 75 in the eucalypt stand. The most abundant beetle species in the pines were Hypothenemus eruditus, Xyleborinus gracilis, Cryptocarenus sp. and Xylosandrus retusus, while the most frequent were H. eruditus, Cryptocarenus sp., H. obscurus, Ambrosiodmus obliquus, and X. gracilis. In the eucalypt stand, H. eruditus, X. retusus, H. obscurus, X. ferrugineus and Microcorthylus minimus were the most abundant species, and H. eruditus, H. obscurus and M. minimus were the most frequently trapped. The majority of the species, regardless of the forest community, were most active between August (end of winter) and October (mid-spring). Significantly more H. eruditus, X. gracilis, Cryptocarenus sp., Corthylus obliquus, Hypothenemus bolivianus, A. obliquus, Sampsonius dampfi and Xyleborus affinis were trapped in the pine stand, while X. retusus, H. obscurus, X. ferrugineus, Xyleborinus linearicollis, Corthylus sp, and Corthylus convexicauda were caught in higher numbers in the eucalypt stand. Approximately 50% of the species trapped were found in both communities. Morisita's similarity index indicates the composition of the two communities is very similar, suggesting that most of the beetles are polyphagous. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Water beetles in mountainous regions in southeastern Brazil

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

Analysis of forecasting capabilities of ground surfaces valuation using artificial neural networks

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

Investigation on Surface Finishing of Components Ground with Lapping Kinematics: Lapgrinding Process

Over the last three decades, researchers have responded to the demands of industry to manufacture mechanical components with geometrical tolerance, dimensional tolerance, and surface finishing in nanometer levels. The new lapgrinding process developed in Brazil utilizes lapping kinematics and a flat grinding wheel dressed with a single-point diamond dresser in agreement with overlap factor (U(d)) theory. In the present work, the influences of different U(d) values on dressing (U(d) = 1, 3 e 5) and grain size of the grinding wheel made of silicon carbide (SiC = 800, 600 e 300 mesh) are analyzed on surface finishing of stainless steel AISI 420 flat workpieces submitted to the lapgrinding process. The best results, obtained after 10 minutes of machining, were: average surface roughness (Ra) 1.92 nm; 1.19 mu m flatness deviation of 25.4 mm diameter workpieces and mirrored surface finishing. Given the surface quality achieved, the lapgrinding process can be included among the ultra-precision finishing processes and, depending on the application, the steps of lapping followed by polishing can be replaced by the proposed abrasive process.

Waveshapes of continuing currents and properties of M-components in natural positive cloud-to-ground lightning

This work analyses the waveshapes of continuing currents and parameters of M-components in positive cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes through high-speed GPS synchronized videos. The dataset is composed of only long continuing currents (with duration longer than 40 ms) and was selected from more than 800 flashes recorded in Sao Jose dos Campos (45.864 degrees W, 23.215 degrees S) and Uruguaiana (29.806 degrees W, 57.005 degrees S) in Southeast and South of Brazil, respectively, during 2003 to 2007 summers. The videos are compared with data obtained by the Brazilian Lightning Location System (BrasilDAT) in order to determine the polarity of each flash and select only positive cases. There are only two studies of waveshapes of continuing currents in the literature. One is based on direct current measurements of triggered lightning, in which four different types of waveshapes were observed; and the other is based on measurements of luminosity variations in high-speed videos of CG negative lightning, in which besides the four types above mentioned two additional types were observed. The present work is an extension of the latter, using the same method but now applied to obtain the waveshapes of positive CG lightning. As far as the authors know, this is the first report on M-components in positive continuing currents. We also have used the luminosity-versus-time graphs to observe their occurrence and measure some parameters (duration, elapsed time and time between two successive M-components), whose statistics are presented and compared in detail to the data for negative flashes. We have plotted a histogram of the M-components elapsed time over the total duration of the continuing current for positive flashes, which presented an exponential decay (correlation coefficient: 0.83), similar to what has been observed for negative flashes. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ground annatto seeds (Bixa orellana L.) in sorghum-based commercial layer diets and their effects on performance, egg quality, and yolk pigmentation

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)