Cantharidin: A Multiporpuse Beetlejuice.

Cantharidin is produced by beetles of two families, Meloidae (true blister beetles) and Oedemeridae (false blister beetles). Nevertheless, it is mainly members of the meloid family that have been widely studied in the traditional medicines and pharmacology of different cultures and countries. The meloids cantharidin's role is going to be reviewed in this paper, including the cantharidin discovery, its adaptative function, and worldwide uses.

Survey on Drosophila suzukii and Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Drosophilidae, Tephritidae) and Associated Eucoilinae Species (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) in Northwestern Argentina. First Record of Dicerataspis grenadensis and Leptopilina boulardi as Parasitoids of D. suzukii.

The Southeast Asian-native Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), also known as "spotted-wing Drosophila," is one of the most globally invasive agricultural species. Although D. suzukii is a pest spread throughout all the Argentinian fruit-growing regions, few information has been published on its impact on local fruit production.

Gels of carrageenan-caprine whey protein concentrate: A physicochemical study.

Mixed gels of carrageenan (Car) and caprine whey protein concentrate (WPCc) (pH 7) were studied and compared with those prepared with Car and commercial bovine whey protein concentrate (WPCb). Dynamic rheology studies indicate that gels with WPCc were weaker (lower G') than those made with WPCb. However, textural parameters such as, hardness, springiness and cohesiveness were similar in both type of gels.

Activity Against Musca domestica of Hypocrealean Fungi Isolated from Culicids in Central Brazil and Formulated in Vermiculite.

Musca domestica L. is a cosmopolitan nuisance of high sanitary importance. Entomopathogenic fungi are innovative and attractive tools for integrated control of the housefly to overcome insufficient levels of control caused by increasing resistance of this pest against chemical insecticides.

Performance of oxalic acid-chitosan/alumina ceramic biocomposite for the adsorption of a reactive anionic azo dye.

A biocomposite system was developed and tested for the removal of the azo dye Reactive Red (RR195) from wastewater. The biocomposite was synthesized using ceramic particles containing 75% alumina which were coated using chitosan cross-linked with oxalic acid. The biocomposite showed high performance at low pH (maximum adsorption capacity = 345.

Parasitoids (Hymenoptera) of Mealybug Pests (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) from Southern Brazil: Molecular and Morphological Characterization.

Parasitoids of three mealybug pests (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), Planococcus ficus (Signoret), Pseudococcus sociabilis Hambleton, and Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret) have been identified for the first time in Brazil. Mealybugs were collected in fruit-growing areas along southern Brazil during 2013-2016. An integrative approach, combining morphological and molecular methods, was used to identify the Brazilian parasitoids to the species level.

Ceratopogonidae (Diptera) Communities in a Protected Area Threatened by Urbanization.

This study highlights the species diversity of Ceratopogonidae from the Paranaense forest and adjacent grassland in a protected natural area of Argentina, and emphasizes the importance of conserving the last remaining marginal forest area surrounded by a strong urbanization. A total 46 species belonging to 10 genera were recorded from these two habitats. Species diversity was higher in the grassland, while dominance was greater in the forest.

Aegilips chilensis (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Figitidae: Anacharitinae): Redescription and Biogeographic Considerations.

Aegilips chilensis Bréthes, 1918 is redescribed and illustrated. Aegilips chilensis is considered an endemic species of the Andean region, characterized for having anteroposterior cephalic processes, resembling spines, formed from the postgenal carina. This and other diagnostic characters are diagnosed and illustrated, and morphological affinities of Aegilips Haliday, 1835 with other Anacharitinae genera are discussed.

Kinetic Parameters for the Thermal Inactivation of Peroxidase and Lipoxygenase in Precooked Frozen Brassica Species.

Thermal inactivation of peroxidase (POD) and lipoxygenase (LOX), both enzymes present in broccoli and Brussels sprouts, is required before freezing, to obtain high-quality precooked frozen vegetables. Rate constants of a 1st-order biphasic model for the heat-labile and heat-resistant POD and LOX isoenzymes were determined at different temperatures (75, 80, and 90 °C) and the corresponding activation energies were estimated using nonlinear regressions. In the case of Brussels sprouts, the activation energies for the resistant and labile fractions were 56.

Structure of the Tortricid-Parasitoid Community in a Recently Introduced Crop.

The introduction of exotic commercial plants represents a change in the food resources for the communities of herbivores. The blueberry is native to the northern hemisphere and was recently introduced in Argentina, so we expect to find polyphagous tortricids and a low complexity in the tortricid-parasitoid community. Tortricids are exophytic leaf-rollers and flower and fruit feeders, they can feed on different plant structures, and they may be present in every blueberry phenological stage.

Effects of Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Cultivars on the Biology and Life Table Parameters of Myzus persicae (Sulz.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae).

Green peach aphids, Myzus persicae (Sulz.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), obtained from pepper fields, were colonized on susceptible pepper plants in a growth chamber. The development, survivorship, and life table parameters of the green peach aphid were evaluated on nine peppers cultivars as follows: Almuden, Bilano, Bird, Cabezo, de la Sierra, Eppo, Jaen, Raza, and Yatasto at controlled conditions (20 ± 1°C; about 70% RH; 14h photophase).

On the presence of five species of naupactini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) damaging soybean in Brazil.

We report five broad-nosed weevils of the tribe Naupactini, Naupactus leucoloma Boheman, Naupactus minor (Buchanan), Naupactus peregrinus (Buchanan), Naupactus tremolerasi Hustache and Pantomorus viridisquamosus (Boheman) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) damaging soybean plants in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Some of these species are recorded for the first time in Brazil, and they all belong to species groups naturally distributed in the prairies of southern Brazil, Uruguay, Central Argentina and Paraguay. Three of them have been introduced, established and expanded in other countries outside South America.

A new species of Saccharosydne Kirkaldy from Argentina (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

Saccharosydne is the most diverse genus of the tribe Saccharosydnini. Male, female and nymphal Saccharosydne have been captured in recent collections from garlic (Allium sativum), rye (Secale cereale) and pampas grass (Cortaderia spp.) in Argentina.

Effect of diet composition on the development of the floodwater Mosquito Ochlerotatus (Ochletotatus) albifasciatus (Macquart) (Diptera: Culicidae).

One important step for the colonization of Ochlerotatus albifasciatus (Macquart) is to determine the optimal conditions for larval rearing, which makes possible the development of experiments comprising larval rearing in the laboratory. In this research the effect of diet composition on the development of O.albifasciatus was studied.

[The role of Cytograpsus angulatus (Crustacea; Brachyura) in the life cycles of Microphallus szidati (Digenea; Microphallidae) and Falsifilicollis chasmagnathi (Acanthocephala; Filicollidae): various aspects of their ecological parasitology].

Based on a study of the larvae from two helminth species parasitizing the crab Cyrtograpsus angulatus Dana, 1851 (Microphallus szidati Martorelli, 1986 and Falsifilicollis chasmagnathi Holcman-Spector et al., 1977), from Mar chiquita lagoom (Argentina) together with the analyses of their life cycles and rates of prevalence, intensity and association coefficient (compared in definitive and intermediate host) the following conclusions have been reached: a) C. angulatus suns to be an excellent intermediate host in the life-cycles of the studied helminths; b) the size of the crabs and the occurrence of natural amputations in the females (Spivak & Politis, in press) appeared correlated with prevalence; c) in the studied crabs the prevalence for F.