An exploratory insect survey of tropical soda apple in Brazil and Paraguay

An exploratory survey was conducted in Brazil and Paraguay to record insects feeding on Solanum viarum Dunal (Solanaceae). A list of insects collected is included. The survey indicated that a diverse group of phytophagous insects is associated with S. viarum, and some of them may have potential as biocontrol agents of S. viarum in Florida.

Ocorrência e flutuação populacional de Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) em áreas de plantio de Pinus taeda (L.) (Pinaceae) no sul do Paraná

The lacewings are very voracious predators of aphids. The objective of this research was to evaluate the occurrence of adult chrysopids in areas of Pinus reforestation where the giant conifer aphid Cinara spp. (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is causing severe damages. A total of 47 specimens were collected during one year and identified as: Chrysoperla externa (Hagen, 1861), Leucochrysa (Nodita) intermedia (Scheneir, 1851) and Leucochrysa (Nodita) vieirana (Navás, 1913). The captures in the area where the plants were one year old represented about 75% of the adults probably due to the high Cinara infestation on the trees in this area. The chrysopids were recorded mostly during the summer, possibly influenced by temperature.

A survey of DNA methylation across social insect species, life stages, and castes reveals abundant and caste-associated methylation in a primitively social wasp

DNA methylation plays an important role in the epigenetic control of developmental and behavioral plasticity, with connections to the generation of striking phenotypic differences between castes (larger, reproductive queens and smaller, non-reproductive workers) in honeybees and ants. Here, we provide the first comparative investigation of caste- and life stage-associated DNA methylation in several species of bees and vespid wasps displaying different levels of social organization. Our results reveal moderate levels of DNA methylation in most bees and wasps, with no clear relationship to the level of sociality. Strikingly, primitively social Polistes dominula paper wasps show unusually high overall DNA methylation and caste-related differences in site-specific methylation. These results suggest DNA methylation may play a role in the regulation of behavioral and physiological differences in primitively social species with more flexible caste differences. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Survey assessment of parental perceptions regarding head lice

Background Head lice constitute a problem in children. Each year, numerous cases of pediculosis occur worldwide. Little work has been performed to evaluate the understanding, opinions, and actions of populations regarding head lice. These areas are important as they enable clinicians and educators to alert parents on how to avoid treatments that are innocuous or of high risk to patients.Methods A cross-sectional study was performed by interviewing the heads of households of 100 randomly chosen residences within the study area.Results The results obtained showed that 13% were infested during the first week of the survey, and 86% in the 24 weeks prior to the study. The number of positive cases increased with increasing resident number, and decreased in families with parents with a higher educational level. Itching was the principal clinical manifestation and caused sleep compromise in 65% of respondents. Innocuous and unhealthy practices to combat infestation, such as the use of inflammables and home insecticides, were common.Conclusion The results showed that certain beliefs generated worry and confusion in parents, who blamed head lice as the cause of various health problems which were not due to this insect.

A survey of the entomofauna associated with the inflorescences of pejibaye (Arecaceae: Bactris gasipaes Kunth) in the Ribeira Valley, SP, Brazil

A cultura da pupunheira (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) vem se expandindo no Brasil, especialmente no Vale do Ribeira, SP, onde encontra condição edafoclimática compatível à sua produção. Com o objetivo de conhecer os insetos visitantes da inflorescência da pupunheira, foi realizado levantamento em duas áreas de coleção de pupunheiras selecionadas originárias de Yurimaguas, Peru, no - Polo Regional do Vale do Ribeira - APTA/SAA-SP, localizado no Município de Pariquera-açu, SP, e em uma propriedade particular no Município de Registro, SP. Durante o mês de janeiro de 2006 e 2007, foram instaladas armadilhas adesivas entomológicas amarelas em inflorescências de diferentes matrizes de pupunheira logo após a abertura de suas brácteas, as quais foram mantidas durante a antese feminina e masculina e retiradas no término do ciclo, cerca de 72 horas. Efetuou-se a separação, contagem e identificação ao nível de ordem dos 9.743 insetos totais coletados. Verificou-se que os insetos mais frequentes na inflorescência da pupunheira no Vale do Ribeira, SP, pertencem às ordens Diptera, Coleoptera e Hymenoptera.

Mini review: karyotypic survey in triatominae subfamily (Hemiptera, Heteroptera)

The Triatominae subfamily consists of 145 species distributed in 18 genera and grouped in six tribes. Currently, there are 86 karyotypes described in the literature, distributed in 11 genera. There are five chromosomal complements described for these bloodsucking insects, out more, 22 (20A+XY), 23 (20A+X1X2Y), 24 (20A+X1X2X3Y), 21 (18A+X1X2Y), 25 (22A+X1X2Y). Thus, we review all triatomine species with the number of chromosomes described in the literature. Through these data highlight the importance of further analysis cytogenetic with karyotype description in Triatominae subfamily, since it can help as an important tool cytotaxonomy and mainly allows the understanding of the evolution of this important group of insect vectors of Chagas disease.