Efeito da alimentação do adulto na qualidade do endoparasitoide larval da broca comum da cana-de-açúcar

Aiming qualitative improvements in the mass rearing of Cotesia flavipes (Cameron, 1891) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in laboratory, tests were conducted with adults feed before parasitism on Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) larvae, using 14 artificial diets based on sucrose, brewer yeast and honey. The design was completely randomized with 15 treatments and five replications. The biological parameters evaluated in F1 and F2 generations were: number of adults emerged; sex ratio; adult emergence percentage; weight of pupae mass; and male and female longevity. The highest average of emerged adults were 85 in diet with sucrose 5% for F1 generation, and 91 in diet with sucrose 5% + yeast brewer 2,5% for F2; the smaller average of adult emergency were 63.60 in diet with honey 5% + yeast brewer 2.5 % for F1 generation and 66.80 in diet with honey 5% for F2. Diets that produced more females were honey 5% + yeast brewer 2.5%, showing the sex ratio of 0.82 for F1 generation, and sucrose 10% + 2.5% yeast brewer 2.5% (0.75) for F2, while sucrose 10% + yeast brewer 2.5% (0.60 for F1) and honey 2.5% (0.59) provided fewer females for F2 generation. The highest percentage of adult emergence were 93.90% with the diet containing sucrose 2.5% + yeast brewer 2.5%) and 93.89 % with honey 5% + yeast brewer 2.5%, and the lowest 81.71% (honey 5% + yeast brewer 2.5%) for F1 and 78.96 % (honey 5%) to F1 and F2, respectively. The diet with Mel 2.5% produced greater weight of pupae mass. The adult longevity did not differ significantly for all diets in F1 and F2 generations. Diets containing 5% or 10% of sucrose or honey provide, in general, improve the qualitative development of C. flavipes in mass rearing.

Biologia comparada de populações da lagarta–do–cartucho em folhas de milho e mandioca

The fall armyworm is a pest that feeds on various botanies species. The objective of this experiment was to study the biology of this pest in corn and cassava leaves. Caterpillars were collected in area under cultivation with cassava and maintained on artificial diet for two generations. Under controlled conditions in a climatic chamber (B.O.D) in the laboratory (25 degrees, 60 +/- 10% RH and photophase 14 hours) were evaluated daily 50 caterpillars in corn treatments and 50 in cassava, where duration and viability of the larval phase and pupal, weight of pupas were observed after 24 hours, deformation percentage of pupas and adults, longevity, fecundity and total life cycle. The viability of larvae fed on leaves of maize and cassava was 74% and 60%, respectively. The larval period of the insects was shorter in maize 16.89 days (seven instars) and cassava 20.08 days (six instars). The pupal phase lasted 11.42 days in cassava treatment and 10.87 in the maize. The pupal weight of females and males was higher in corn 204.91 mg and 198.97 mg, respectively. The biological cycle varied depending on the ingested food. Adult longevity lasted 9.88 days for insects fed on cassava leaves. Therefore, cassava affected the development of S. frugiperda.

Diferenças individuais no comportamento forrageiro de Polistes versicolor Olivier, 1872 (Vespidae, Polistinae)

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia) - IBRC

Estabelecimento do capim-massai em consórcio com milho AG-1051 e Bt, em áreas infestadas pelo percevejo castanho das raízes.

The system consortium of grain crops with forage plants allows the establishment of pastures resistant, vigorous and lower cost in areas infested with stink bug brown root. Maize has favorable characteristics for intercropping as high plant height and insertion height of the studs, allowing the crop to occur without interference of forage plants. Furthermore, the production system in consortium with Bt corn reduced the infestation of Spodoptera frugiperda and was not affected by Scaptocoris carvalhoi (Hemiptera: Cydnidae), The Panicum maximum cv. Massai allowed a consortium with excellent corn and pasture provided a vigorous and excellent leaf mass distribution and very deep roots in the soil. Grain yield for Bt corn was higher and significant (P <0.05), compared to other treatments. The use of Lorsban (1.5 liters / ha) and Thiodan (2.0 liters / ha) was highly effective (P <0.05) in the control of Spodoptera frugiperda and Scaptocoris carvalhoi (Hemiptera: Cydnidae).

Capacidade de parasitismo de Trichogramma pretiosum em ovos de Trichoplusia ni em diferentes temperaturas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Seletividade de produtos fitossanitários utilizados na cultura da soja para pupas de Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Caracterização e comparação de Cotesia flavipes (Hymenoptera: braconidae) em situação de criação massal utilizando microssatélites e morfologia

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Entomologia Agrícola) - FCAV

Eutrophication and macroalgal blooms in temperate and tropical coastal waters: nutrient enrichment experiments with Ulva spp.

Receiving coastal waters and estuaries are among the most nutrient-enriched environments on earth, and one of the symptoms of the resulting eutrophication is the proliferation of opportunistic, fast-growing marine seaweeds. Here, we used a widespread macroalga often involved in blooms, Ulva spp., to investigate how supply of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), the two main potential growth-limiting nutrients, influence macroalgal growth in temperate and tropical coastal waters ranging from low- to high-nutrient supplies. We carried out N and P enrichment field experiments on Ulva spp. in seven coastal systems, with one of these systems represented by three different subestuaries, for a total of nine sites. We showed that rate of growth of Ulva spp. was directly correlated to annual dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations, where growth increased with increasing DIN concentration. Internal N pools of macroalgal fronds were also linked to increased DIN supply, and algal growth rates were tightly coupled to these internal N pools. The increases in DIN appeared to be related to greater inputs of wastewater to these coastal waters as indicated by high delta 15N signatures of the algae as DIN increased. N and P enrichment experiments showed that rate of macroalgal growth was controlled by supply of DIN where ambient DIN concentrations were low, and by P where DIN concentrations were higher, regardless of latitude or geographic setting. These results suggest that understanding the basis for macroalgal blooms, and management of these harmful phenomena, will require information as to nutrient sources, and actions to reduce supply of N and P in coastal waters concerned.

Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 December 2011-31 January 2012

This article documents the addition of 473 microsatellite marker loci and 71 pairs of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Barteria fistulosa, Bombus morio, Galaxias platei, Hematodinium perezi, Macrocentrus cingulum Brischke (a.k.a. M.abdominalis Fab., M.grandii Goidanich or M.gifuensis Ashmead), Micropogonias furnieri, Nerita melanotragus, Nilaparvata lugens Stal, Sciaenops ocellatus, Scomber scombrus, Spodoptera frugiperda and Turdus lherminieri. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Barteria dewevrei, Barteria nigritana, Barteria solida, Cynoscion acoupa, Cynoscion jamaicensis, Cynoscion leiarchus, Cynoscion nebulosus, Cynoscion striatus, Cynoscion virescens, Macrodon ancylodon, Menticirrhus americanus, Nilaparvata muiri and Umbrina canosai. This article also documents the addition of 116 sequencing primer pairs for Dicentrarchus labrax.

Eight anonymous nuclear loci for the squamate antbird (Myrmeciza squamosa), cross-amplifiable in other species of typical antbirds (Aves, Thamnophilidae)

Typical antbirds (similar to 209 species) represent a diverse radiation of Neotropical birds that includes many species of conservation concern. Here we present eight anonymous nuclear loci designed for the squamate antbird Myrmeciza squamosa, a species endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. We also show that those anonymous nuclear loci are amplifiable in a number of other typical antbird species from related genera (Myrmeciza, Percnostola, Gymnocichla, Myrmoborus, Pyriglena and Formicivora), including three threatened species (Myrmeciza ruficauda, Formicivora littoralis, and Pyriglena atra). Those markers will be useful not only to help management of threatened species of typical antbirds, but also to explore their evolutionary histories, both at intra and interspecific levels.

Loss of male secondary sexual structures in allopatry in the Neotropical butterfly genus Arcas (Lycaenidae: Iheclinae: Eumaeini)

Male secondary sexual characters in Lepidoptera may be present or absent in species that otherwise appear to be closely related, an observation that has led to differences of opinion over the taxonomic usefulness of these structures above the species level. An evolutionary issue raised by this debate is whether male secondary sexual characters (1) can be regained after being lost evolutionarily, (2) are not lost after being evolved, or (3) are 'switched on and off' by genes that regulate development. A second evolutionary issue is the conditions under which male secondary sexual characters might be lost or gained evolutionarily. Because these structures are thought to promote species recognition, theory predicts evolutionary losses to be most likely in allopatry; evolutionary gains to be most likely during the process of secondarily establishing sympatry or during sympatric speciation. We updated the species-level taxonomy of the brilliant emerald winged Neotropical lycaenid butterfly genus Arcas and performed an analysis of phylogenetic relations among species to assess these evolutionary issues. We morphologically detail a scent pouch on the ventral hindwing of Areas and report that six species possess the pouch with androconia, one possesses the pouch without androconia, and the remaining two species have neither pouch nor androconia. In addition, eight Areas species have a morphologically species-specific male forewing scent pad, and one lacks a scent pad. This variation appears to be the result of three evolutionary losses and no gains of male secondary sexual organs. The four Areas species lacking a scent pouch or a scent pad are allopatric with their closest phylogenetic relatives while four of five with both of these structures are sympatric. Although Arcas is a small genus, these results are significantly more extreme than predicted by chance. For taxonomy, this study provides a rationale for the evolutionary loss of male secondary sexual structures and suggests that their absence, but itself, does not indicate a lack of relationship above the species level.

Bioactivity of neem nanoformulations on tomato pinworm

The use of insecticide plants is an important tool in the management of insect pests. Aiming to control Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), neem nanoformulations were evaluated. After estimating the LC50 for a commercial neem oil formulation, selection bioassays were performed with 22 nanoformulations. In order to do that, newly emerged caterpillars were fed on leaflets treated with nanoformulation solutions for 10 days. The effect on the development and longevity of the insect was evaluated with the two most promising nanoformulations, aqueous NC40 and powdered NC40 (NC 40 = Poly- -hydroxibutirate nanocapsules). The LC50 for neem oil was estimated in 0.20% or 1.31mgL(-1) of azadiractin. The nanoformulations aqueous NC40 and powdered NC40 affected the insect development.

Trichogramma pretiosum parasitism and dispersal capacity: a basis for developing biological control programs for soybean caterpillars

In order to succeed in biological control programs, not only is it crucial to understand the number of natural enemies to be released but also on how many sites per area this releasing must be performed. These variables might differ deeply among egg parasitoid species and crops worked. Therefore, these trials were carried out to evaluate the parasitism (%) in eggs of Anticarsia gemmatalis and Pseudoplusia includens after the release of different densities of the egg parasitoid Trichogramma pretiosum. Field dispersal was also studied, in order to determine appropriate recommendations for the release of this parasitoid in soybean fields. The regression analysis between parasitism (%) and densities of the parasitoid indicated a quadratic effect for both A. gemmatalis and P. includens. The maximum parasitism within 24 h after the release was reached with densities of 25.6 and 51.2 parasitoids per host egg, respectively, for the two pests. Parasitism of T. pretiosum in eggs of P. includens decreased linearly as the distance of the pest eggs from the parasitoid release sites increased. For P. includens, the mean radius of T. pretiosum action and the area of parasitoid dispersal in the soybean crop were 8.01 m and 85.18 m(2), respectively. We conclude that for a successful biological control program of lepidopteran pests using T. pretiosum in soybean fields, a density of 25.6 parasitoids per host egg, divided into 117 sites per hectare, should be used.

Biological and behavioral parameters of the parasitoid Cotesia flavipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are altered by the pathogen Nosema sp (Microsporidia: Nosematidae)

A major issue for mass rearing of insects concerns sanitary conditions and disease. Microsporidian infection (Nosema sp.) in laboratory colonies of Diatraea saccharalis (Fabr.) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), used in producing the parasitoid. Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), is representative of the problems faced by growers and industry. Although C. flavipes has been produced for several years in Brazil for biological control of D. saccharalis, we have only recently observed that the parasitoid becomes infected when developing inside hosts infected with Nosema sp. We assessed the effects of Nosema sp. on C. flavipes, including the ability to locate and select hosts, and evaluated pathogen transmission. Third instar larvae of D. saccharalis were inoculated with Nosema sp. spores at different concentrations and were parasitized when larvae reached fifth instar. Heavily infected D. saccharalis larvae did not support parasitism. Parasitoids that developed in infected D. saccharalis larvae exhibited increased duration of larval and pupal stages, decreased adult longevity and number of offspring, and reduced tibia size compared to parasitoids developing in uninfected D. saccharalis larvae. Infection by Nosema sp. reduced the ability of the C. flavipes parasitoid to distinguish between volatiles released by the sugarcane infested by healthy larvae and pure air. Uninfected parasitoids preferred plants infested with uninfected hosts. But infected C. flavipes did not differentiate between uninfected hosts and those infected with Nosema sp. The pathogen is transmitted from host to parasitoids and parasitoids to hosts. Pathogenic effects of the microsporidium in C. flavipes are sufficiently severe to justify disease management efforts, particularly considering the importance of C. flavipes as a biological control agent in sugarcane. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structural insights regarding an insecticidal Talisia esculenta protein and its biotechnological potential for Diatraea saccharalis larval control

Talisin is a seed-storage protein from Talisia esculenta that presents lectin-like activities, as well as proteinase-inhibitor properties. The present study aims to provide new in vitro and in silico biochemical information about this protein, shedding some light on its mechanistic inhibitory strategies. A theoretical three-dimensional structure of Talisin bound to trypsin was constructed in order to determine the relative interaction mode. Since the structure of non-competitive inhibition has not been elucidated, Talisin-trypsin docking was carried out using Hex v5.1, since the structure of non-competitive inhibition has not been elucidated. The predicted non-coincidence of the trypsin binding site is completely different from that previously proposed for Kunitz-type inhibitors, which demonstrate a substitution of an Arg(64) for the Glu(64) residue. Data, therefore, provide more information regarding the mechanisms of non-competitive plant proteinase inhibitors. Bioassays with Talisin also presented a strong insecticide effect on the larval development of Diatraea saccharalis, demonstrating LD50 and ED50 of ca. 2.0% and 1.5%, respectively. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.