Isolation and characterization of a native strain of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana for the control of the palm weevil Dynamis borassi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the neotropics.

This study aimed to isolate and characterize a native strain of Beauveria bassiana, coded as Bv065, showcasing its potential as a biological control agent targeting the palm weevil Dynamis borassi. Originating from a naturally infected D. borassi specimen collected in southwestern Colombia, the fungus underwent molecular identification and was identified as B.

A scarab beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) causes tree mortality, delayed growth, and yield reduction in cacao with genotype-specific susceptibility to herbivory.

Background: This study explored the impact of Leucothyreus femoratus, a previously unreported folivorous pest in cacao cultivation, on cacao tree survival, development, and yield. The study was conducted in an experimental cacao plot in the Colombian plains, it featured 20 cacao genotypes in an agroforestry system, with plantain and Mexican sunflower providing temporary shade, and yopo offering permanent shade.

Results: We found an infestation rate of 2.

The lipidome of an omnivorous insect responds to diet composition and social environment.

Lipids are biomolecules with essential roles in metabolic processes, signaling, and cellular architecture. In this study, we investigated changes in the lipidome of the house cricket subjected to diets of different nutritional composition (i.e.

Growth and survival of the superorganism: Ant colony macronutrient intake and investment.

In this study, we used two common ant species ( and ) to assay how they translate variation in the diet (both in composition and frequency) into growth. We measured colony development for over 8 months and measured several phenotypic traits of the worker caste, and examined whether forager preference corresponded with diet quality. Optimal colony growth was a balance between survival and growth, and each of these was maximized with different nutrient regimes.

Diet composition and social environment determine food consumption, phenotype and fecundity in an omnivorous insect.

Nutrition is the single most important factor for individual's growth and reproduction. Consequently, the inability to reach the nutritional optimum imposes severe consequences for animal fitness. Yet, under natural conditions, organisms may face a mixture of stressors that can modulate the effects of nutritional asymmetry.

Direct and indirect effects of plant diversity and phenoxy herbicide application on the development and reproduction of a polyphagous herbivore.

Widespread application of synthetic pesticides and loss of plant diversity are regarded as significant drivers of current global change. The effects of such phenomena on insect performance have been extensively studied separately, yet the interactions of these two drivers have been poorly explored. Here, we subjected the polyphagous grasshopper Pseudochorthippus parallelus (Zetterstedt, 1821) to a full-lifecycle field experiment with 50 cages containing experimental plant communities differing in grass species richness (2 vs.

Trade-off and adaptive cost in a multiple-resistant strain of the invasive potato tuber moth Tecia solanivora.

Background: Resistance to pesticides is an evolutionary process that entails, in most cases, substantial consequences to the biology of the resistant populations. In this study we focus on the life history traits of the potato tuber moth Tecia solanivora, an invasive and voracious pest for which resistance to pyrethroid insecticides was recently reported. Marginally resistant and multiple-resistant populations were selected from eight sampled localities in Colombia; the use of a fully susceptible population was not possible since none was recognized in the laboratory or field.

X-ray computed tomography and its potential in ecological research: A review of studies and optimization of specimen preparation.

Imaging techniques are a cornerstone of contemporary biology. Over the last decades, advances in microscale imaging techniques have allowed fascinating new insights into cell and tissue morphology and internal anatomy of organisms across kingdoms. However, most studies so far provided snapshots of given reference taxa, describing organs and tissues under "idealized" conditions.

Sublethal dose of deltamethrin damage the midgut cells of the mayfly Callibaetis radiatus (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae).

In insects, the midgut performs multiple physiologic functions (e.g., digestion and nutrients absorption) and serves as a physical/chemical barrier against pathogens and chemical stressors such as deltamethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide, commonly used in insect control that are agricultural pests and human disease vectors.

Bt-based insecticide enhances the predatory abilities of the backswimmer Buenoa tarsalis (Hemiptera: Notonectidae).

The backswimmer Buenoa tarsalis (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) is a naturally occurring predator of immature stages of mosquitoes. These aquatic predators can suffer from non-targeted exposure to insecticides that are commonly used in aquatic environments to control mosquitoes. Here, we evaluated whether insecticide formulations containing the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis var.

Deltamethrin toxicity and impaired swimming behavior of two backswimmer species.

Backswimmers (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Notonectidae) are insect predators in a wide variety of freshwater habitats. These insects are well known through their role as mosquito biocontrol agents, their ability to prey on immature fishes and frogs, and because they are often the first to colonize aquatic habitats. As a consequence, these predators may face intended or unintended insecticide exposures that may lead to death or to impairment of essential behaviors (e.

New and little known Orthoptera (Ensifera and Caelifera) from the Ñambí River Natural Reserve, Nariño, Colombia.

A preliminary checklist of the Orthopterans from the Ñambí River Natural reserve is presented. A total of 26 species were studied, five new species are herein described: Championica nambiensis n. sp.

Deltamethrin-Mediated Toxicity and Cytomorphological Changes in the Midgut and Nervous System of the Mayfly Callibaetis radiatus.

Immature instars of mayflies are important constituents of the food web in aquatic ecosystems (especially in Neotropical regions) and they are among the most susceptible arthropods to pyrethroid insecticides. These insecticides have been recognized as important stressors of freshwater ecosystems, but their cellular effects in aquatic insects have been neglected. Here, we assessed the susceptibility to deltamethrin (a typical type II pyrethroid) as well as the deltamethrin-mediated cytomorphological changes in the central nervous system and midgut of the mayfly Callibaetis radiatus.

Acanthagrion viridescens (Odonata: Coenagrionidae): description of the final larval stadium and biological notes.

The development of the nymphal stages of Acanthagrion viridescens Leonard was examined under laboratory conditions. Based on specimens collected in Minas Gerais state (Brazilian Southeastern Region), we described and illustrated the last-instar nymph and illustrated the egg and other nymphal stages. The nymphs of A.

Paracloeodes caldensis (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae), an atypical new species from the Colombian Andes.

In the present work, an atypical new species of Paracloeodes Day (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) is described based on nymphs collected in the Caldas Department, Central Cordillera of Colombia. This represents the first report of the genus from Colombia. The main characteristics that distinguish the new species from congeners are: abundant setae on femora, antennae length twice the width of the head capsule, maxilla with palp twice the length of the galea-lacinia, segment II of the labial palp with a rounded projection and 2.