Insecticidal plants as trade opportunities and use by small vegetable producers: an example using essential oils to control Diaphania hyalinata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).

Production and sale of botanical insecticides depend on knowing the potential opportunities for these products. Essential oils from plants secondary metabolism can control pests, especially in agricultural systems where synthetic insecticides are limited, as in organic agriculture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of essential oils to Diaphania hyalinata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and to show regions with the potential to use Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Citrus sinensis, and Syzygium aromaticum in the formulation and commercialization of insecticides to control this insect.

Parasitism, sexual dimorphism and effect of host size on Apocephalus attophilus offspring, a parasitoid of the leaf-cutting ant Atta bisphaerica.

Atta bisphaerica (Forel) is a leaf-cutting ant that specializes on grass and causes productivity losses in sugar cane fields and pastures. Three phorid species, Apocephalus attophilus (Borgmeier), Myrmosicarius grandicornis (Borgmeier) and Eibesfeldtphora bragancai (Brown), have been found parasitizing A. bisphaerica workers.

Morphology of the Phytophagous bug Platyscytus decempunctatus (Carvalho) (Heteroptera: Miridae).

Platyscytus decempunctatus Carvalho is a small mirid living throughout its life cicle plant Solanum cernuum Vell. (Solanaceae). The internal morphology of P.