A New Species of Megaceropsis Dechambre, 1976 and a New Record of Megaceropsis quadridentata Dechambre, 1976 (Coleoptera, Melolonthidae, Dynastinae, Oryctini).

Megaceropsis Dechambre, 1976 (Coleoptera, Melolonthidae, Dynastinae, Oryctini) is a South American genus with two known species until now: Megaceropsis quadridentata Dechambre, 1976 and Megaceropsis lecourti Dechambre, 1996. We describe a third species herein: Megaceropsis kleytoni sp. nov.

Larvae of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Prioritize Secretion of Protective Wax Over Daily Consumption and Growth.

In holometabolous insects, the immature or larval stage is characterized by a high rate of food consumption. The nutrients obtained from which are directed towards the maintenance of metabolism, growth, pupation, and metamorphosis. However, when resources are scarce, the lack thereof can affect the growth rate and compromise the metamorphosis and formation of adults.

Insecticides in Use and Risk of Control Failure of Boll Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Brazilian Cerrado.

Growers rely on synthetic insecticides to control the boll weevil throughout the reproductive cotton stage. An average of 19.6 insecticide applications (range: 10 to 30) for control of boll weevil were found in a survey with growers in the Brazilian Cerrado, covering an area of 494,100 hectares of cotton.

First Records of the Invading Species Drosophila Nasuta (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in the Amazon.

Invading species pose a growing threat to biodiversity, ecosystemic systems, regional economies, and public health. In recent decades, South America has received five exotic drosophilids species, some of which have invaded natural ecosystems and caused harm to agriculture. The most recent case is the Asian fly Drosophila nasuta Lamb.

Invasion and Spreading of Drosophila nasuta (Diptera, Drosophilidae) in the Caatinga Biome, Brazil.

Biological invasions are one of the main causes of biodiversity loss, and it is essential to understand the pattern and rate of expansion of invasive species outside their native distribution. In this study, we documented the invasion of the Asian fruit fly, Drosophila nasuta Lamb, in the Caatinga, and measured its geographical distribution in this environment, which covers 11% of the Brazilian territory. We collected drosophilids in eight sites distributed in the north of the Caatinga (in the state of Ceará), in the south (in Bahia), in the east (in Pernambuco), and in the west (in Piauí), as well as in sites in the central area of the biome.

Colonization and Spatial Distribution of Boll Weevil in Commercial Cotton Fields.

The departure and arrival of boll weevil in cotton fields have fostered major control decisions against this pest over time. Field colonization and distribution of boll weevil were evaluated using cotton fields from 93.7 to 154 ha each, located in Serra da Petrovina and Campo Verde, both in the Cerrado biome of Mato Grosso State, Brazil, as a function of cotton field bordering vegetation and crop phenology.

Which Species of Coconut Moth Occurs in Brazil: Atheloca subrufella vs. Atheloca bondari (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)?

The moths, Atheloca subrufella (Hulst 1887) and A. bondari, (Heinrich 1956) are species known for their economic impact on coconut production, which Brazil is the fourth largest global producer. The first record of Atheloca in Brazil was reported by Bondar in 1940, where the author registered it being A.

Predation on Diamondback Moth Larvae and Aphid by Resistant and Susceptible Lady Beetle, Eriopis connexa.

A successful pest control requires both chemical and biological agents for most commercially grown crops. However, insecticide resistance is increasing worldwide. Cabbage, a widely grown Brassicaceae, hosts the most resistant insect pest to insecticides, the diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella L.

Acute Toxicity and Sub-lethal Effects of the Essential Oil of Aristolochia trilobata and Its Major Constituents on Nasutitermes corniger (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae).

Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky, 1855) (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae) is an important pest in urban environments and bioinsecticides can be an alternative to its control. Here, we determined the toxicity and repellence of the essential oil (EO) prepared from stems of Aristolochia trilobata L. (Aristolochiaceae) and its major constituents on N.

Revisiting pollinating Cyclocephala scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae: Dynastinae) associated with the soursop (Annona muricata, Annonaceae).

The soursop (Annona muricata L., Annonaceae) is an important fruit crop in several countries of South America, including Brazil, and the presence of the scarab beetles in this orchads can reduce pollination deficits and increase the productivity. For this reason, we report Cyclocephala celata Dechambre, 1980 as a flower visitor and potential pollinator of the soursop.

Tetrastischus howardi density and dispersal toward augmentation biological control of sugarcane borer.

The number of Tetrastischus howardi (Olliff) females to be released and their dispersion should be known, that way, used D. saccharalis pupae as sentinel host to measure parasitism as function of the release density of the parasitoid and its location in the field. Two sets of trials were run aiming first to define the number of parasitoids to be released and the dispersal of the parasitoid using plots in sugarcane commercial fields, respectively.

Contribution to the Species of Oxyligyrus Arrow (Coleoptera, Melolonthidae) of the Peruanus Species Group with the Description of Two New Species.

Two new species of the genus Oxyligyrus Arrow, 1908 from the peruanus species group are described from Brazil and compared with other species of the genus Oxyligyrus limeirai sp. nov., from Maranhão state and Oxyligyrus vazdemelloi sp.

Lethal Effect and Behavioral Responses of Leaf-Cutting Ants to Essential Oil of Pogostemon cablin (Lamiaceae) and Its Nanoformulation.

Leaf-cutting ants belonging to the genus Atta (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) are important pests in agricultural and forest environments. In the present study, we evaluated the formicidal activity of the essential oil of Pogostemon cablin and its nanoformulation on the leaf-cutting ants: Atta opaciceps (Borgmeier, 1939), Atta sexdens (Linnaeus, 1758), and Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel, 1908. The nanoformulation was developed by magnetic stirring using polyoxyethylene (36%), pure ethanol (36%), essential oil of P.

Toxin Gene Contents and Activity of Bacillus thuringiensis Strains Against Two Sugarcane Borer Species, Diatraea saccharalis (F.) and D. flavipennella (Box).

Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) bears essential characteristics in the control of insect pests, such as its unique mode of action, which confers specificity and selectivity. This study assessed cry gene contents from Bt strains and their entomotoxicity against Diatraea saccharalis (F.) and Diatraea flavipennella (Box) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).

Fertility Life Table of Tetranychus palmarum Flechtmann & Noronha (Acari: Tetranychidae) in Oil Palm.

Some species of spider mites belonging to the Tetranychidae family are known to associate with oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq. - Arecaceae). The occurrence of Tetranychus palmarum Flechtmann & Noronha (Acari, Tetranychidae) was verified on oil palm seedlings under greenhouse conditions in the State of Pará in Northern Brazil.

Performance of Eriopis connexa (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) resistant to lambda-cyhalothrin after extended recovery from knockdown.

A population of the predatory lady beetle Eriopis connexa (Germar) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) was recorded as resistant to lambda-cyhalothrin. Adults exposed to this insecticide have recovered from knockdown after 72 h. Thus, the performance of resistant (R) and susceptible (S) populations of E.

Fitness Advantage in Heterozygous Ladybird Beetle Eriopis connexa (Germar) Resistant to Lambda-Cyhalothrin.

The pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin is widely recommended for use against defoliators in crop ecosystems, but this broad-spectrum insecticide lacks efficacy against aphids; thus, key aphid predators such as the ladybird beetle Eriopis connexa (Germar) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) must be preserved. Given that populations of E. connexa recently identified as resistant to lambda-cyhalothrin show potential of integrating chemical and biological control in crop ecosystems, a historical goal of integrated pest management.

Contributions of Dryland Forest (Caatinga) to Species Composition, Richness and Diversity of Drosophilidae.

In this study, semi-arid environments were tested to see if they support insect diversity. This was evaluated through the structure of the composition of assemblies of drosophilids in three conservation units placed in three different ecoregions in the dryland forests, Caatinga. This is a unique biome in northeast Brazil, comprising approximately 10% of the country.

Performance of the Striped Mealybug Ferrisia virgata Cockerell (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) under Variable Conditions of Temperature and Mating.

Mealybugs have strong associations with their host plants due to their limitations for dispersal. Thus, environmental conditions and host quality may impact the biological traits of mealybugs. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to report on the biology of a Brazilian population of the striped mealybug Ferrisia virgata Cockerell (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), which has recently been reported to infest cotton in Brazil.

Insecticide resistance in populations of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), from the state of Pernambuco, Brazil.

The diamondback moth Plutella xylostella (L.) has a great economic importance in Brassicaceae crops in many parts of the world. Recurrent infestations of this pest in growing areas of Pernambuco state, Brazil, have led farmers to frequently spray their crops with insecticides.

[Rearing technique and biological traits of Atheloca subrufella (Hulst) (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae) in coconut fruits].

Rearing Technique and Biological Traits of Atheloca subrufella (Hulst) (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae) in Coconut Fruits. Larvae of the coconut moth Atheloca subrufella (Hulst) develop in flowers and fruits of coconut, Cocos nucifera, causing precocious abscission of these structures and, hence, yield decrease. This work studied a feasible and suitable rearing technique for A.

[Oviposition, development, and reproduction of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) fed on different hosts of economic importance].

The host selection for oviposition by Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) among corn, millet, cotton and soybean, and its relationship with the biological characteristics were investigated.

New records of natural enemies of Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in Pernambuco, Brazil.

We report the occurrence of natural enemies of Plutella xylostela (L.) in organically farmed kale in Pernambuco, Brazil. Seven natural enemies were observed parasitizing or preying on larvae and pupae of P.

[First report of Lutzomyia araracuarensis (Morales & Minter) (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Brazil].

A male of Lutzomyia araracuarensis (Morales & Minter) and possibly six females of this same species were found in the northeastern area of Manacapuru county, Amazonas State. Samples were collected using light traps CDC, from April 2003 to June 2004.

[Compared biology and behavior of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) and Phytoseiulus macropilis (Banks) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on Bollgard and non-transgenic isoline cotton].

The two spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, is a nontarget herbivore of Bt-cotton, but acquires and accumulates higher levels of Cry toxin than that expressed by transgenic plants. This work investigated the development and reproduction of T. urticae and of the predator Phytoseiulus macropilis Banks, during three successive generations looking for potential nontarget effect.