The Potential of Blastospores to Control Larvae in the Field.

Entomopathogenic fungi are promising as an environmentally benign alternative to chemical pesticides for mosquito control. The current study investigated the virulence of blastospores against under both laboratory and field conditions. Virulence bioassays of conidia and blastospores were conducted in the laboratory, while field simulation bioassays were conducted under two conditions: totally shaded (TS) or partially shaded (PS).

Production of conidia using different culture media modifies the virulence of the entomopathogenic fungus against larvae.

Background & Objectives: Entomopathogenic fungi are being investigated for the biological control of a range of mosquitoes. Metarhizium conidiospores (conidia) effectively kill Aedes aegypti larvae and could be deployed as an alternative to chemical insecticides. Conidial yield and virulence of fungi when cultured on three different types of solid media, was investigated.

Metarhizium anisopliae blastospores are highly virulent to adult Aedes aegypti, an important arbovirus vector.

Background: The use of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) for the control of adult mosquitoes is a promising alternative to synthetic insecticides. Previous studies have only evaluated conidiospores against adult mosquitoes. However, blastospores, which are highly virulent against mosquito larvae and pupae, could also be effective against adults.

Effects of a Reserve Protein on Development: A Biochemical and Molecular Approach to the Entomotoxic Mechanism.

Talisin is a storage protein from seeds that presents lectin-like and peptidase inhibitor properties. These characteristics suggest that talisin plays a role in the plant defense process, making it a multifunctional protein. This work aimed to investigate the effects of chronic intake of talisin on fifth instar larvae of , considered the main insect pest of maize and the cause of substantial economic losses in several other crops.

Entomotoxic properties of Dioclea violacea lectin and its effects on digestive enzymes of Anagasta kuehniella (Lepidoptera).

Entomotoxic plant lectins have been extensively studied in the past two decades, yet the exact mechanisms underlying their toxic effects remain unknown. This study investigated the effects of Dioclea violacea lectin (DVL) on larval development in Anagasta kuehniella. Chronic exposure of larvae (from neonates to the fourth instar) demonstrated that DVL interfered with larval growth, retarding development and decreasing larval mass without affecting survival.

Perimicrovillar membrane assembly: the fate of phospholipids synthesised by the midgut of Rhodnius prolixus.

In this study, we describe the fate of fatty acids that are incorporated from the lumen by the posterior midgut epithelium of Rhodnius prolixus and the biosynthesis of lipids. We also demonstrate that neutral lipids (NL) are transferred to the haemolymphatic lipophorin (Lp) and that phospholipids remain in the tissue in which they are organised into perimicrovillar membranes (PMMs). 3H-palmitic acid added at the luminal side of isolated midguts of R.

Freshwater catfish jundiá (Rhamdia quelen) larvae are prepared to digest inert feed at the exogenous feeding onset: physiological and histological assessments.

This study assessed the morphological development of jundiá larvae's digestive system and digestive proteolytic activity. Specific serine proteinases activities varied over time, with the highest peak at 12 h after hatching (AH), which corresponded to 296.38 ± 84.

Alpha-glucosidase promotes hemozoin formation in a blood-sucking bug: an evolutionary history.

Background: Hematophagous insects digest large amounts of host hemoglobin and release heme inside their guts. In Rhodnius prolixus, hemoglobin-derived heme is detoxified by biomineralization, forming hemozoin (Hz). Recently, the involvement of the R.

Hydrolytic enzymes of leaf-cutting ant fungi.

The production of enzymes and the colonization of leaves by Leucoagaricus gongylophorus were investigated to further understand the digestive interactions of leaf-cutting ant colonies. The enzymes detected were indicative of a saprophytic origin of this fungus, producing all the enzymes necessary for plant tissue breakdown. Enhanced activities of certain enzymes in the fungus garden extracts may be due to the particular behaviour of the adult worker ants that concentrate fungal acquired enzymes in the rectal fluid and subsequently defaecate these enzymes onto the leaves.

Digestive enzymes in larvae of the leaf cutting ant, Acromyrmex subterraneus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini).

The digestive physiology and biochemistry of larvae of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex subterraneus were investigated here. The activity of digestive enzymes was evaluated in the labial glands, midgut epithelium (soluble and particulate fractions), and in the lumen contents, separated into endo and ectoperitrophic regions. Enzymes with high levels of activity were partially characterised using chromatography and electrophoresis techniques.

Digestive enzymes of leaf-cutting ants, Acromyrmex subterraneus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini): distribution in the gut of adult workers and partial characterization.

Enzyme activities associated with the labial glands, midgut and rectum of adult Acromyrmex subterraneus were investigated in order to understand their role in digestion of plant and fungal material. High chitinolytic activity was detected in the labial glands, indicating a possible role in the degradation of fungus ingested by the ants. Chitinolytic activity seen in other compartments of the alimentary canal probably originated in the labial glands.