Muscles-bearing of sting apparatus in social wasps and their relationship with the autotomy (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae)

The musculature that sustains the stinging organ was studied in three species of social wasps using scanning electron microscopy technique. It were observed some differences among species in which sting autotomy occurs and in which it does not. These differences were related to the diameter,length and position of insertion of these muscles.

Effect of Salinity on Larval Rearing of Pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, a Freshwater Species

The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth and survival of pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, larvae reared in different salinities and to determine the Artemia nauplii life span in freshwater and in saline water. First feeding 5-d-old pacu larvae were reared in freshwater or at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 ppt salinities. The larvae were reared in 1.5-L aquaria at a density of 10 larvae/L with three replicates per treatment. After 10 d of rearing, significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed for growth and survival. Larval growth was higher at 2 and 4 ppt, and survival at 2 ppt was 100%. In freshwater and at 4, 6 and 8 ppt, the survival was 91.1, 93.3, 73.3, and 39.9%, respectively. At higher salinities, there was 100% mortality after 2 h (12 and 14 ppt) and 8 h (10 ppt) of exposure. The slightly saline water of at least 2 ppt increased the Artemia nauplii life span compared to the life span in freshwater. Later, in a second trial, 5-d-old pacu larvae were reared in freshwater and at 2 and 4 ppt salinities during the first 5 or 10 d of active feeding, and then the fish were transferred to freshwater. At the end of 15 d, larval growth was lower in freshwater (42 mg) than in treatments 2 and 4 ppt (5963 mg). The abrupt transfer of fish from freshwater to slightly saline water and the return to freshwater did not affect the survival rates (8997%). The larvae were able to adapt to these saline environments and handle abrupt changes in salt concentration. We concluded that salinity concentration of 2 ppt can be used for pacu larval rearing, allowing the Artemia nauplii lifetime to last longer and cause faster fish growth.

Incubation and rearing temperature effects on Hsp70 levels and heat stress response in broilers

Incubation temperature (IT) was changed to evaluate if 6-wk-old birds become more tolerant to heat stress. After 13 d of incubation, 470 eggs were submitted to low (36.8degreesC), normal (37.8degreesC) and high (38.8degreesC) temperatures. At day 7 post-hatching, 144 birds were allocated to three rearing temperatures (48 birds/treatment): control/thermoneutral (35-24degreesC), high (33-30degreesC) or low (27-18degreesC) according to the age of the birds. Hsp70 levels in tissues of birds (1 d and 42 d), stress response (42 d) and performance were evaluated. High IT decreased brain (P < 0.01) and liver (P < 0.01) Hsp70 levels, whereas low IT decreased brain (P < 0.01) but increased heart (P < 0.01) Hsp70 levels in 1-d-old chicks. Birds incubated at a low temperature had higher (P < 0.05) feed intake (1-42d). High rearing temperature decreased feed intake (P<0.01) and liveweight (P<0.01). Colonic temperature was lower in birds incubated at a low temperature (P < 0.05) and higher in birds reared in a high temperature (P < 0.05) before heat stress. Birds reared in low temperature had higher increase in colonic temperature after heat stress (P < 0.05). Tissue Hsp70 levels were differently affected by rearing temperature, which affected broiler performance more than IT. Lower IT seemed to increase the sensitivity of birds to heat stress at market age.

Host quality of different aphid species for rearing Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

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

Early development of Astronotus ocellatus under stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy

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

Models for the analysis of growth curves for rearing tinamous (Rhynchotus rufescens) in captivity

Growth curves models provide a visual assessment of growth as a function of time, and prediction body weight at a specific age. This study aimed at estimating tinamous growth curve using different models, and at verifying their goodness of fit. A total number 11,639 weight records from 411 birds, being 6,671 from females and 3,095 from males, was analyzed. The highest estimates of a parameter were obtained using Brody (BD), von Bertalanffy (VB), Gompertz (GP,) and Logistic function (LG). Adult females were 5.7% heavier than males. The highest estimates of b parameter were obtained in the LG, GP, BID, and VB models. The estimated k parameter values in decreasing order were obtained in LG, GP, VB, and BID models. The correlation between the parameters a and k showed heavier birds are less precocious than the lighter. The estimates of intercept, linear regression coefficient, quadratic regression coefficient, and differences between quadratic coefficient of functions and estimated ties of quadratic-quadratic-quadratic segmented polynomials (QQQSP) were: 31.1732 +/- 2.41339; 3.07898 +/- 0.13287; 0.02689 +/- 0.00152; -0.05566 +/- 0.00193; 0.02349 +/- 0.00107, and 57 and 145 days, respectively. The estimated predicted mean error values (PME) of VB, GP, BID, LG, and QQQSP models were, respectively, 0.8353; 0.01715; -0.6939; -2.2453; and -0.7544%. The coefficient of determination (RI) and least square error values (MS) showed similar results. In conclusion, the VB and the QQQSP models adequately described tinamous growth. The best model to describe tinamous growth was the Gompertz model, because it presented the highest R-2 values, easiness of convergence, lower PME, and the easiness of parameter biological interpretation.

Passionflower supplementation in diets of Japanese qualis at rearing and laying periods

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

Feeding substrates to black coconut bunch weevil, Homalinotus coriaceus (Gyllenhal) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), rearing in laboratory

A broca do cacho do coqueiro, Homalinotus coriaceus (Gyllenhal), é uma praga limitante da produção de coco no Brasil, sendo que tanto as larvas como os adultos provocam a queda das flores femininas e dos frutos imaturos, pela interceptação do fluxo de seiva ou pela alimentação direta nas estruturas reprodutivas. em virtude da escassez de informações sobre sua biologia, realizou-se esse trabalho com o objetivo de desenvolver uma metodologia mais adequada para a criação da praga em laboratório. Foram utilizados os parâmetros biológicos para avaliação e comparação dos sistemas de criação estudados.Toletes de cana-de-açúcar foram utilizados como substrato para alimentação dos adultos coletados no campo e obtenção dos ovos. As larvas foram criadas em três substratos alimentares no Laboratório de Entomologia da Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA)-CPATC (Centro de Pesquisa Agropecuária dos Tabuleiros Costeiros), em Aracaju, SE. Os substratos alimentares estudados foram: o mesocarpo do coco, dieta para criação da broca dos citros e dieta para criação da broca do olho do coqueiro, sendo esta a que proporcionou o melhor desenvolvimento larval num menor tempo, com boa viabilidade, maior facilidade no preparo e manutenção.

General morphology and ultrastructure of the venom apparatus and convoluted gland of the fire ant, Solenopsis saevissima

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

Thermal requirements for the embryonic development of Periplaneta americana (L.) (Dictyoptera: Blattidae) with potential application in mass-rearing of egg parasitoids

The embryonic development of oothecae of Periplaneta americana was evaluated under four different constant temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 degrees C and also at different exposure times at <5 degrees C. Their suitability as hosts after the treatment for the parasitoids Evania appendigaster and Aprostocetus hagenowii was also assessed. Temperatures of 5, 10, 15, and 35 degrees C adversely affected the development of the cockroaches, and exposure times to <5 degrees C longer than 5 days sufficed to kill all the embryos in the oothecae. The lower thermal threshold for complete development of P. americana was estimated to be 6.8 degrees C, with a required total amount of 900.9 degree-days. Cold-killed oothecae were still fit for the development of parasitoids. Parasitism rates of A hagenowii were higher than those of E appendigaster, although with lower emergence rates. Our results can be useful in aiding mass-rearing of these parasitoids for biological control programmes of A americana, and may help forecast the time of emergence of nymphs of American cockroaches in infested areas. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a methodology of collection and rearing of the invasive ant Paratrechina longicornis Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the laboratory.

The genus Paratrechina is a cosmopolitan group, with some species invading residences and hospitals. In Brazil, the most important species are: Paratrechina fulva and Paratrechina longicornis. In spite of the importance of these species as urban pests, there is a lack of information on their biology, since studies on urban ants are rather recent in our country and also due to the difficulty of keeping colonies of P. longicornis in the laboratory. Therefore, the present study was aimed at developing two methodologies: one suitable for collecting and another for keeping colonies of P. longicornis in the laboratory. Concerning the collections, four methodologies were analyzed, while for keeping colonies in the laboratory, the types of containers where the colonies would be stored as well as the food items that would comprise their diet were evaluated. The most adequate methodology for collecting was the one performed using an entomological aspirator. Regarding the maintenance of colonies, the most adequate container was the test tube with cotton steeped in water, while in the tests on food attractiveness, the workers showed preference for sugary liquids and dead insects, mainly termites. Moreover, two infestations of mites from the families Acaridae, Macrochelidae (genus Macrocheles) and Uropodidae in the colonies of P. longicornis have occurred, which caused a significant mortality of the colonies, due to an unbalance in the social behavior of the ants.

Broiler walking ability and toe asymmetry under harsh rearing conditions

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

Rearing of Pseudacteon spp (Dipt, Phoridae), parasitoids of fire ants (Solenopsis spp) (Hym, Formicidae)

After exposure of Solenopsis saevissima colonies maintained in plastic trays to phorid attack in the field, and subsequent transfer of colonies to covered plastic buckets, we confirmed that P. wasmanni and P. litoralis are indeed parasitoids of fire ant workers. The period from attack to emergence of phorid adults ranged from 35 to 46 days. Adult phorids were maintained live in glass vials with sugar water as a food source for 5 days. These results indicate that Pseudaceton can be reared for biological control release programs with minimal difficulty. Furthermore, parasitized workers could be easily transferred from South America to quarantine laboratories within the egg to adult emergence time period.

FINE-STRUCTURE AND MORPHOGENESIS OF THE MICROPYLE APPARATUS IN BEES EGGS

The present paper deals with the description of the formation of the micropylar apparatus in some species of Apidae bees. The features of the cells located in the anterior pole of the oocyte chamber are described at light microscopy and with SEM and TEM. The resulting micropylar region has the form of a sieved plate, slightly elevated in relationship to the oocyte surface. It is not clear if all the holes in the sieve are opened.