The present paper describes a new species of Actinote (Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae, Acraeini), Actinote keithbrowni Freitas, Francini & Mielke sp. nov., from southeastern Brazil, based on morphological and molecular data. The new species is very similar in wing pattern to Actinote eberti, within what we term the “light-gray mimicry complex.” The host plants and immature stages of the new species are

Insects are the most abundant and diverse organisms on Earth and provide essential ecosystem services. However, Brazilian society rarely consider the importance of insects in their diverse country. Therefore, in this review, we provide an overview of ecosystem services provided by insects in Brazil. A database search returned 136 articles, published in English or Portuguese, on ecosystem services provided

Interactions between different pest control methods can affect Integrated Pest Management efficiency. This study sought to evaluate (1) if Si accumulation is related to the level of constitutive resistance in sorghum genotypes, (2) the level of Si induces resistance by antibiosis in sorghum genotypes with different levels of constitutive resistance to Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) (reared individualized

Colonies of leaf-cutting ants of the genus Atta need to collect large quantities of vegetal substrate in their environment to ensure their growth. They do so by building and extending over time a foraging network that consists of several underground tunnels extending above ground by physical trails. This paper presents a longitudinal study of the foraging network of two mature colonies of the grass-cutting

The sugarcane hairy borer, Hyponeuma taltula (Schaus, 1904), attacks the base of sugarcane and causes the death of the apical bud, a symptom known as "dead heart." In recent years, there has been significant infestation in Brazilian sugarcane crops. With the purpose of finding methods for controlling and/or monitoring the pest for the sustainable cultivation of sugarcane, we characterized the mating

Responses in taxonomic and functional composition of communities were analysed in small Amazonian streams at the small and large scale (habitat patches, river segment scale, and catchment scale). We hypothesised that similar responses in community structure to local environmental factors were a correlation between taxonomic and functional composition. To evaluate the response of taxonomic composition

Two new species of Collembola are described, full body chaetotaxy is given. Ptenothrix dalii sp. nov. and Seira pietata sp. nov. were originally found in metalogenic areas covered with transitional vegetation of savanna and forest in Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. Ptenothrix dalii sp. nov. is part of the "gracilis-group" of species, with large, blunt macrochaetae on head and body. Seira pietata

The classification of the Tabanidae had remained stable over the last 60 years after Mackerras proposed a great revolution in the arrangement of the family. Recently, some new proposals based on molecular data have once again changed the classification of the family, mainly with a focus on the tribe Scionini. The present paper introduces a critical analysis based on the taxonomical view of the recent

Urban areas represent a spatially small impact in relation to other land-uses such as livestock and agriculture, but they undergo rapid changes. Such changes involve their size, shape, interconnectivity, and composition of natural patches. Habitat loss generated by urbanization affects the diversity and abundance of bees and other flower visitors in many sites. In general, the presence of urban areas

Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) biotype B is a key pest of Solanum lycopersicum L. (Solanaceae) throughout the world. In this study, we examined the induction of resistance on tomato plants treated with SA, BABA, and Trichoderma either individually or in combination against B. tabaci biotype B through the assessment of some biological and behavioral aspects of this insect pest. Also

The market for biological control of insect pests in the world and in Brazil has grown in recent years due to the unwanted ecological and human health impacts of chemical insecticides. Therefore, research on biological control agents for pest management has also increased. For instance, insect viruses have been used to protect crops and forests around the world for decades. Among insect viruses, the

The poorly studied Mesoamerican genus Adamsiana Penny, 1996 (Neuroptera: Ithonidae) was considered monotypic for more than 20 years, containing only Adamsiana curoei Penny. However, a second species was recently discovered in the southern region of Guatemala and is described here as Adamsiana alux Ardila-Camacho, Castillo-Argaez & Martinez, sp. nov. A key to the Adamsiana species and a list of the

The decline in bee populations worldwide has been associated with the use of pesticides in crop systems where these insects forage. The use of biopesticides, like spinosad, is preferred as an alternative method to control pests, because it is considered safer to non-target insects. In this study, we evaluated the lethal and sublethal effects of the spinosad-based formulation Tracer® on foragers of

The objective was to register the occurrence of Proctolaelaps bickleyi (Bram) (Acari: Mesostigmata: Melicharidae) in association with adults of the Anthonomus grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and to describe aspects of its behavior. This is the first record of a mesostigmatid mite associated with the cotton boll weevil in the Americas. Beetles carrying the mites had lower mobility than usual

Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are among the early colonisers of recently deglaciated terrains. While patterns of carabid colonisation along forelands of retreating glaciers have been thoroughly investigated in temperate climates, information remains scarce in tropical mountains. This study aimed to describe for the first time the carabid beetle species assemblages along the chronosequence

Pyrethroids are synthetic insecticides that have a repellent action. This effect has been associated with an increase in the locomotor activity, which causes the avoidance of the insecticide-treated area (excito-repellency). In this work, we studied with behavior and electrophysiological recordings the occurrence of olfactory-mediated repellency caused by pyrethroids of different volatility in the

Before a population becomes extinct, there are hidden costs in the physiology at the individual level that provide valuable insights into their condition. Here, we study two dams with one species in common (Argia anceps Garrison, 1996) to evaluate whether their physiological condition differed (total protein quantity, prophenoloxidase (proPO) and phenoloxidase (PO) activity, and protein carbonylation)

A new species of lichen-mimicking praying mantis, Carrikerella simpira n. sp., is described from Tingo María region in Peru. The new species differs from its congeners in having reduced tergal lobes, a relatively sinuous pronotum, and it is found in the highland tropical rainforest of the Central Andes. Behavioral observations conducted on captive individuals revealed that juveniles and adults hunt

In stream ecosystems, waterfalls intercept the fluvial continuum and limit the dispersion of aquatic organisms. However, the barrier effect may be minimized or absent for insects whose life cycle is not restricted to the aquatic environment (i.e., winged adults), such as the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT). In this study, we investigated EPT diversity (abundance, richness, and

Many hymenopteran parasitoids are known as biocontrol agents, such as Anisopteromalus calandrae (Howard) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), which is known to parasitize larvae and pupae of coleopteran pests including Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Ptinidae). The success of these parasitoids is related to their searching ability, which is mediated through chemical stimuli of the habitat, food

The present study evaluated the lethal toxicity and oviposition deterrence of ethanolic extracts of Annona mucosa Jacq., Annona muricata L., and Annona sylvatica A. St.-Hil on Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) compared with those of a limonoid-based bioinsecticide (Azamax™ 1.2 EC—azadiractin +3-tigloyl-azadiractol) and a synthetic spinosyn-based insecticide (Delegate™ 250 WG—spinetoram)

Hermetia illucens (L., 1758) is a fly of the family Stratiomyidae frequently found in tropical zones. Adult flies are not considered pathogens as they are incapable of biting and feeding thus not transmitting sicknesses to humans. The larval stage feeds off organic matter and offer a rich protein source naturally consumed by animals. The use of black soldier fly (BSF) larvae to treat organic waste

Laboratory studies with the stink bug Chinavia erythrocnemis (Berg) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) were conducted to evaluate the effect of reproductive structures of cultivated plants, on nymph and adult performance, and adult preference. Results indicated that nymphs were able to complete the development on all plants evaluated. Nymph developmental time was significantly shorter on immature soybean pod

Little is known about the effects of genetically modified corn plants on the foraging of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith). Therefore, this study examines whether singular herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant plants and their stacked events interfere with food preference and oviposition of S. frugiperda. Two non-Bt corn hybrids and three Bt-hybrids, some of them with glyphosate tolerance (GT),

Huanglongbing (HLB), the most destructive citrus disease worldwide, was first recorded in Brazil in 2004, and since then, more than 50 million trees identified with this disease have been eliminated. The disease is managed mainly by controlling the psyllid vector Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, 1908 (Hemiptera: Liviidae). Although the presence of the insect in commercial citrus groves is low, HLB infection

Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) is a soybean pest that causes significant economic losses in the Americas. The variability of overwintering (diapause) traits was evaluated in populations of the Southwest (SW) (33°55′–34°17′S, 57°13′–57°46′W) during 2-year period (2011–2013) and of the Northwest (NW) (32°01′–33°02′S, 57°50′–57°24′W) during 1-year period (2014–2015) Regions of Uruguay. Samples were taken

Aquatic systems have been degraded by environmental changes aimed at increasing the productivity of farmland and ranches. These changes affect aquatic assemblages at both local and regional scales. The hypothesis of this study is that in-stream environmental conditions are more important determinants of species richness and composition of Gerromorpha assemblage, given that they are affected directly

Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) is an agricultural pest of wide geographic distribution infesting a vast list of host species in America. However, little is known about the past geographic distribution of this species. In this study, we investigated the potential past and current distribution of species in South America. In this sense, the MaxEnt algorithm was used to model the ecological niche of the

Iridoviridae is a DNA virus family that affects both vertebrates and invertebrates. Immature aquatic stages of many dipteran species infected with iridovirus have been found in different places worldwide. The most represented genera of the Culicidae family are Aedes and Psorophora. To date, sixteen species of Aedes naturally infected with iridoviruses have been reported. Moreover, there are four records

The present study aimed to explore some simple ways to optimize the mass rearing of Cotesia vestalis (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), one of the most important biocontrol agents of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). The effects of host and parasitoid initial densities on the quantity and quality of produced wasps were investigated. In particular, a factorial

So far, six species of Oxeoschistus Butler, including its junior synonym Dioriste Thieme, were listed from Central America, with five of them from Costa Rica alone, which appears to represent the highest regional diversity of this Neotropical montane butterfly genus. Our research based on field work, morphological studies and barcode analysis proved that one record is a misunderstanding perpetuated

Bombus atratus Franklin is a widely distributed bumblebee of South America. In Colombia, this species is recognized for its ability to adapt to highly disturbed habitats. However, knowledge of its ecology is poorly known, in particular conditions to ensure the long-term conservation of its populations. Identification of pollen resources is an important issue that could be used as a tool to manage and

Most cultivars of apple trees are highly dependent on insects for successful pollination and fruit production. In this study, we evaluated the insect diversity in apple orchards of southern Brazil and verified whether or not there is a relationship between the diversity of insect visitors and the characteristics (weight, seed number, and symmetry) of the fruits of ‘Fuji’ and ‘Gala’ apples produced

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

In the Brazilian Tropical Dry Forest, the Caatinga, stingless bees (Apidae, Meliponini) need to adjust their foraging behavior to a very short and unpredictable blooming period. Melipona subnitida Ducke 1910 is one of the few meliponine species adapted to the environmental peculiarities of this biome. To get an insight into how these highly eusocial bees are able to maintain their perennial colonies

Copitarsia sp. (Hampson) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Cuculliinae) is a quarantine pest in different countries and affects diverse crops of economic importance in South America. The development of ethological control strategies is an important issue that requires knowing the reproductive behavior of the species involved. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish the reproductive behavior of Copitarsia

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

Pest populations are mostly regulated by climate, intra- and interspecific competition, natural enemies, and host plant quality. Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a widely adapted aphid in the agroecosystems and is one of the main bell pepper pests. In the present study, we determined the spatial and temporal dynamics and the regulatory factors of M. persicae populations in bell pepper

Primary and secondary parasitoids of Hypogeococcus spp. (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) on Cactaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Portulacaceae were reported from field surveys conducted in Puerto Rico, USA, since 2009. Resident natural enemies of the Harrisia cactus mealybug (HCM), Hypogeococcus sp., which is devastating native cacti in Puerto Rico and threatening cacti in the adjacent Caribbean islands, were

The present study investigated the occurrence of passalids in dead trunks with structural variations. Trunks were found in areas of white sand forests, locally known as Campinarana, in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. The collections were extended from May to December 2009. The mean diameter of the trunks and their stage of decomposition were classified, and the species of Passalidae were classified

Several invasive bark beetle species have caused major economic and ecological losses in South America. Accurate predictions of beetle emergence times will make control efforts more efficient and effective. To determine whether bark beetle emergence can be predicted by season, temperature, or precipitation, we analyzed trapping records for three introduced pest species of bark beetles in Uruguay. We

Insecticidal gene silencing by RNA interference (RNAi) involves a post-transcriptional mechanism with great potential for insect control. Here, we aim to summarize the progress on RNAi research toward control of insect pests in the Neotropical region and discuss factors determining its efficacy and prospects for pest management. We include an overview of the available RNAi information for Neotropical

The lack of standardization of bioassays for the evaluation of toxic bait toxicity on the South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus (Weidemann 1830), has led to erroneous interpretations of assay results. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology for the standardization and validation of toxicological tests on A. fraterculus toxic bait using the Success™ 0.02CB formulation (80

The niche of aquatic insect herbivores can be determined by the resource quality of leaf litter species. We compared the niche functional trait of aquatic insect herbivores between Magnolia ovata (riparian tree) and Saccharum officinarum (sugar cane) leaf litter processing. We hypothesized M. ovata and sugar cane leaf litter species would influence different functional traits niche of aquatic insect

Successful biological control requires detailed knowledge about the mass rearing conditions of the control agents in order to ensure higher quality of field-released insects. Thus, we investigated whether rearing fluctuating thermal condition would affect the fitness and costs of the parasitoid wasp Telenomus podisi Ashmead (a biocontrol agent used for controlling the Neotropical brown stink bug Euschistus

The licuri palm, Syagrus coronata (Martius) Beccari (Arecaceae), is widely distributed throughout the Brazilian Caatinga and has high cultural, socioeconomical, and ecological importance. The palm tree logging is prohibited by the Brazilian law, and thus isolated individuals are a common sight on managed pastures in the Brazilian semi-arid region. We aimed to compare the insect seed-predator Pachymerus

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) and predatory mirids are among the most effective natural enemies for the control of Tuta absoluta, a key pest of tomato worldwide. In the case of South America, the native EPN Heterorhabditis amazonensis and the predator Macrolophus basicornis (Stal) coexist in tomato. The intraguild interactions of two ENPs, H. amazonensis JPM4 and the widely used Steinernema carpocapsae

Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) has attacked several economically important crops since it was first reported in Brazil in 2013. Because insecticides have been used intensively to control H. armigera, resistant populations have been detected more frequently. One alternative to insecticides is the use of biological control with egg parasitoids from the family Trichogrammatidae (Hymenoptera). The present

Count variables are often positively skewed and may include many zero observations, requiring specific statistical approaches. Interpreting abiotic factor changes in insect populations of crop pests, under this condition, can be difficult. The analysis becomes even more complicated because of possible temporal or spatial correlation, irregularly spaced data, heterogeneity over time, and zero inflation

Stable and diversified agroecosystems provide farmers with important ecosystem services, which are unfortunately being lost at an alarming rate under the current conventional agriculture framework. Nevertheless, this concern can be tackled by using ecological intensification as an alternative strategy to recuperate ecosystem services (e.g., biological control of pests). To this end, the manipulation

This study investigates the influence of parasitoid age and egg age of the hosts Euschistus heros (Fabricius) and Dichelops melacanthus (Dallas) on parasitism of Telenomus podisi Ashmead. Six separate bioassays were conducted: parasitism on eggs of E. heros (bioassay 1) and D. melacanthus (bioassay 2) by T. podisi females of different age (1, 5, and 10 days old); parasitism by T. podisi on eggs of

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama is the vector of the pathogenic bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter spp., the causative agent of Huanglongbing (HLB), the most serious disease of citrus worldwide. Because predatory insects have been historically neglected in biological control programs for D. citri, the impact of generalist predators on D. citri population densities is little understood. A useful tool to evaluate

Sugarcane is one of the most economically important crops in Brazil. The damage caused by Diatraea saccharalis (F.) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) results in high costs for its production. Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is the most efficient means of controlling this pest. The prohibition of burning and the preservation of soil cover through non-tillage practices increased many population

Leaf-cutter ants perform a series of specialized behaviors in preparing plant substrates for their symbiotic fungus. This process may be related to contamination of workers by substances such as insecticides, leading us to hypothesize that substances are spread among workers through behaviors they perform to grow the fungus. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the behavioral acts of workers during

The predatory stink bugs are well known by their behavior, but the knowledge of the immature morphology and their natural history are scarce. Studies on predatory stink bugs are important to better understand their evolution and their use as biological controllers. Here, we describe the morphology of egg and the five nymphal instars of Oplomus catena (Drury, 1782), using optical and scanning electron

Although most species distribution modeling (SDMs) are constructed at the species level, an appreciation of evolutionary processes has led to modeling above this level. In view of the difficulty in estimating the impacts of human actions on rare or deficient data species, we proposed a new approach to vulnerability assessment based on concepts already well established in the literature (ecological

To further the use of local parasitoids to control the spotted wing drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) in Mexico, three treatments were implemented by sextuplicate in commercial berry fields of Colima and Jalisco from June 2017 to May 2018: single release of Trichopria drosophilae Perkins (pupal parasitoid), combined release of T. drosophilae + Leptopilina boulardi Barbotin, Carton & Kelner-Pillault (larval

Chemical compounds present on the cuticle of social insects are important in communication, as they are used in recognition of nestmates and sexual partners as well as in caste distinction, varying according to several factors, such as genetic and environmental. In this context, some studies have explored the cuticular chemical profile as a tool for assessing intra- and interspecific differences in

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. subrufella. The studies performed by C. Heinrich in 1956 related the existence of divergence in

Understanding the life cycle and dietary requirements of laboratory-reared insects is critical for optimizing resources (including time) and can provide more reliable ecological basis for using such biological control agents in realistic programs. Here, we evaluated the complete development and the predatory abilities of Belostoma anurum (Herrich-Schäffer, 1848) (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae), an aquatic