Publications by authors named "Cruz-Lopez L"

Article Synopsis
  • Triatomines are blood-sucking insects that spread Chagas disease, so trapping them is essential for reducing human contact and controlling the disease.
  • The study tested the attraction of different triatomine species to volatiles from fermented products and commercial lures using double-choice bioassays.
  • The results showed that volatiles from lactic fermentation and some fermented fruits effectively attracted triatomines, indicating their potential for disease control, while some products seemed to repel the insects.
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Article Synopsis
  • Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and transmitted by triatomine bugs, relies on effective trapping methods to control the insect population.
  • Researchers optimized a box trap design to capture four triatomine species by varying materials, colors, heights, and bait attractants to determine the most effective combinations.
  • The study found that corrugated cardboard traps were the most effective overall, with different species showing preferences for specific trap sizes, colors, and bait combinations, providing a promising alternative strategy for managing Chagas disease transmission.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on how aggregation occurs among triatomine bugs, which are attracted to specific signals or cues, particularly from feces of both their own and other species.
  • Researchers examined the effect of volatile compounds found in the feces of the Triatoma pallidipennis species, discovering that certain short-chain aldehydes significantly attracted their nymphs.
  • The most effective blend of these compounds included four particular aldehydes, suggesting potential for using these signals in pest control strategies, though their exact role as pheromones or cues is still under investigation.
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The study aimed to evaluate the insecticidal activity of extracts of edible mushrooms Pleurotus ostreatus and Lentinula edodes against Rhyssomatus nigerrimus. Methanol:water extracts (70:30) of P. ostreatus and L.

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Article Synopsis
  • Aggregation is a behavior seen in many animals, including triatomines, which are blood-sucking bugs that transmit Chagas disease to mammals, including humans.
  • Triatomines use aggregation pheromones, the specific chemical structures of which were previously unknown, to gather in hiding spots, and this research aims to identify these pheromones to reduce human contact with the bugs.
  • The study discovered that triatomines produce short-chain aldehydes to attract and nitrogen-derived compounds to arrest other bugs, with variations in these compounds depending on whether the bugs were infected with the disease.
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The macadamia nut borer, Gymnandrosoma aurantianum Lima (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is the main pest of Macadamia integrifolia Maiden & Betche (Proteales: Proteaceae) in Central America. Despite its importance, there is little information on its reproductive behavior. We studied the calling behavior and effect of age on female sex pheromone production and male antennal response to the pheromone.

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Article Synopsis
  • Triatomines, known as kissing bugs, can spread Chagas disease by transmitting the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, and preventing their contact with humans is crucial for controlling the disease.
  • The study tested eight commercial essential oils for their effectiveness in repelling different species of kissing bugs, using an exposure device to measure how long the bugs stayed near a host.
  • Results showed that a specific blend of essential oils significantly reduced the bugs' proximity to humans, suggesting potential for these natural repellents in developing new strategies for managing disease-vector insects.
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Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), the two-spotted spider mite, is a pest that limits strawberry production in Mexico. Little is known about the interactions that occur between T. urticae and healthy strawberry plants or strawberry plants infested by conspecific spider mites.

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Floral scents shape plant-pollinator interactions. Although populations of the same species can vary in their floral scent, little is known about how this variation affects pollinator visitation. In this study, we compare the scents emitted by buzz-pollinated (Solanaceae) in two areas of its distribution (Mexico and USA) and investigate how these differences in scent affect pollinator preferences and attraction.

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Anastrepha obliqua Macquart (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a polyphagous species with hog plums (Spondias spp.) (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae) and mangoes (Mangifera indica L.) (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae) as primary host fruits.

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The mahogany shoot borer, Hypsipyla grandella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is one of the most economically important pests in all American tropical forests because it prevents the establishment of monoculture plantations of the family Meliaceae, such as Spanish cedar, Cedrela odorata L. Various studies have focussed on the bioecological aspects and the chemical and silvicultural control of this pest. However, relatively little is known about the biological interactions between this insect and its host plant.

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Excessive use of insecticides has led to resistance of some pathogenic organisms (nematodes, bacteria and fungi), environmental contamination, and the presence of hazardous residues. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate synthetic metabolites derived from previous studies with edible mushrooms against the soybean weevil Rhyssomatus nigerrimus Fahraeus (Curculonidae) because of the relevance of pest control in an economically important crop. Furthermore, this is one of the first studies where edible fungal molecules are evaluated for the control of these insects.

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Several studies have reported that bacteria produce anti-fungal volatiles. We identified the organic volatile compounds produced by six cacao endophytic bacteria (CEB) strains (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CFFSUR-B35, Bacillus megaterium CFFSUR-B32, Bacillus muralis CFFSUR-B39, Bacillus pumilus CFFSUR-B34, Bacillus subtilis CFFSUR-B31, and Novosphingobium lindaniclasticum CFFSUR-B36). We evaluated their inhibitory effect on mycelium growth and spore germination of the phytopathogenic fungus Moniliophtora roreri.

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The present study analyzed the volatile compounds emitted by Glycine max (cv. FT-Cristalina-RCH) soybean plants: healthy plants and plants damaged mechanically or by the Mexican soybean weevil Rhyssomatus nigerrimus. The SPME method was used to compare the volatile profile of soybean plants in four different conditions.

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After death, a series of primary reactions occur that produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are released into the environment. In this study, we investigated if the succession of flies of forensic importance in the first hours after death is mediated by VOCs in order to better understanding of the ecology of necrophagous insects. In total, 685 adult insects (Diptera and Hymenoptera) were collected by traps baited with chicken remains at different decomposition times (0, 6, 12, 24, 36, or 48 h).

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Aedes albopictus is a vector of dengue, chikungunya, and dirofilariasis. Volatile compounds are crucial for mosquitoes to locate their hosts. This knowledge has allowed the identification of attractants derived from human odours for highly anthropophilic mosquito species.

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The sex pheromone of the avocado moth Stenoma catenifer Walsingham has potential use in the detection of S. catenifer males in the Antillean race avocado in Chiapas, Mexico, although the study of local parameters that influence its effectiveness is required. In this study, trap type, trap height, pheromone release rate and duration of pheromone activity were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of this pheromone in field conditions in the Antillean race avocado crops of the coast of Chiapas, Mexico.

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The decomposition of a living being involves a series of changes produced by a number of interacting abiotic and biotic factors. In this study, we analyzed the effect of the colonization of blowflies on the decomposition of chicken carcasses and on the emission of sulfur compounds. The loss of the mass of carcasses and the release rate of sulfur compounds were compared for 30 d in chicken carcasses with and without blowflies in field conditions.

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The presence of Lutzomyia (Tricholateralis) cruciata (Coquillett 1907) species complex has been suggested by morphological analysis of eggs and genetic studies of females. The present work aimed to compare the diversity in morphology of four populations of Lu. cruciata from the Coast of Chiapas, Mexico, using traditional (TM) and geometric (GM) methods.

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The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari), can survive in residual coffee berries during the inter-harvest period, while new fructification only appears 2-3 months after the last harvest. The dispersal of colonizing females is an adaptation that enables the life cycle of the species to go ahead whenever his flight aptitude allows. This paper focuses on accurately determining the rate of inseminated females ready to reproduce when emerging from residuals berries to colonize new ones, which constitutes a characteristic of the live cycle far from common in Curculionidae.

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In this study cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) were characterized from wings of individual unmated males of different Anastrepha ludens (Loew) mass-reared strains of different ages (3 and 19-day-old): (a) a standard mass-reared colony (control), (b) a genetic sexing strain, (c) a selected strain, (d) a hybrid strain, and (e) wild males. We found that the hydrocarbon profiles in all males included two n-alkanes, five monomethyl alkanes, and two alkenes. CHCs ranged from C to C .

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Floral scents attract pollinators to plant rewards; in nectarless flowers, pollen grains are the only reward. Thus, pollen not only fertilizes ovules, but also feeds pollinators. This dilemma is resolved by specialization of anthers (i.

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Background: The Triatoma phyllosoma complex of Trypanosoma cruzi vectors (Triatominae: Reduviidae) is distributed in both Neotropical and Nearctic bioregions of Mexico.

Methods: Volatile organic compounds emitted by disturbed Triatoma longipennis, Triatoma pallidipennis and Triatoma phyllosoma, and from their Brindley's and metasternal glands, were identified using solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Results: Disturbed bugs and the metasternal glands from T.

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The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari), is a multivoltine species closely associated with coffee crops worldwide, causing severe damage to the bean. In Mexico, as in all tropical regions, CBB survives during the inter-harvest period in residual berries on the ground or in dry berries remaining on the branches, and then disperses in search of the first suitable berries. In this study, we investigated how CBB dispersed from the first infested nodes during the fruiting period of Coffea canephora Pierre, which provides a favourable trophic level for this insect.

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