The species Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) (Diptera: Culicidae) is of great importance for human health, as it is responsible for the transmission of viruses that can cause dengue, chikungunya, zika and urban yellow fever. The proposal of this study is to test the efficiency of a new trap model in capturing and trapping Ae. aegypti based on favoring the insect's ecology. This trap model was analyzed regarding the attractiveness for egg-laying, and the trapping of larvae and consequently the adults. The tests were carried out using white traps (original version) and black traps (adapted from the original), both in field and laboratory conditions. In the field, the black traps showed 100% effectiveness compared to white traps, showing more positive results for the attractiveness of Ae. aegypti mosquito and adult imprisonment. According to the results for this trap model, from both test in the field and in the laboratory, it was concluded that this new product is effective in capturing Ae. aegypti and it guarantees mosquito trapping safety, also low-cost production, practicality, logistics and possibility of its use by the local population. After the validation and effectiveness of the trap “drinking-fountain like”, the definitive trap called Mosquitex was developed, which is brand new for this mosquito, with patent registration INPI - BR2020190112226 - 2019, and with the possibility of assisting in the control and monitoring of Ae. aegypti in urban areas.

Bolbapium Boucomont, 1910 is a Neotropical genus of Geotrupidae with 22 known species. In this paper, we describe Bolbapium vazdemelloi sp. nov. in Southwestern Bahia, Brazil. This new species is distinguished from congeneric species by its unique combination of morphological characters: cephalic tubercle adjacent to each eye; pronotum with little expanded bidentate tubercle; parameres symmetric, with acute and divergent apex. The new species was incorporated into a previously published identification key for Bolbapium.

The present study aimed to evaluate, qualitatively and quantitatively, yellow sticky traps and entomological net in the monitoring of Monellia caryella (Fitch, 1855) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its predators in a pecan plantation in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This plantation was implemented on 1.2 ha in February 2012 with the Barton and Shawnee varieties at a spacing of 7 m x 7 m. Twenty pecan plants were randomly selected to sample the blackmargined pecan aphid and its predators. From November 2014 to May 2015, 13 collections were carried out with yellow sticky traps and an entomological net. A total of 898 arthropod specimens were collected, 50.9% of which were from yellow sticky traps and 49.1% from the entomological net trap. Regarding the yellow sticky traps, only M. caryella was identified at the species level, with the predators identified at the taxonomic levels of order (Araneae) and family (Coccinellidae; Coleoptera). In terms of the entomological net, all the insects of interest at the species level were identified. There was a significant difference only between the averages in the number of Araneae specimens, with the highest density found in the yellow sticky traps. Both methods provided the correct identification of M. caryella and efficiently recorded its population peak. It is concluded that yellow sticky traps are effective for monitoring M. caryella, while the entomological net is suitable for monitoring and correctly identifying species of natural enemies of the insect pest in pecan plantations.

The knowledge of arachnofauna from Tocantins, Brazil, is still incipient. The present communication expands the known geographical distribution of Loxosceles amazonica Gertsch, 1967 (Arachnida: Araneae: Sicariidae) in Brazilian Cerrado. The brown spider specimens were sampled in Dianópolis municipality and Cristalândia municipality both in Tocantins State, Brazil, between 2022 and 2024. Also, we describe a new variation of the epigynum of L. amazonica. Mapping the distribution of Loxosceles Heineken & Lowe, 1832 species in Brazil is crucial for public health, aiding in prevention and timely treatment of loxoscelism caused by brown spider bites.

Hesperinus Walker, 1848, a member of Bibionidae (Diptera), is a Holarctic and Oriental genus. The genus has been reported from the Neotropical Region twice: i) Hesperinus conjungens Schiner, 1868, transferred to Plecia Wiedemann, 1828 by Hardy in 1967, and ii) additional specimens identified as Hesperinus sp. by Messias Carrera in 1944. In this study, we revisited the Carrera’s specimens, identifying them as Plecia sp. Additionally, we discussed the taxonomy of Plecia conjungens and compiled a list of articles that consider the species as Hesperinus.

The study of relationships between living beings is essential for understanding the functioning of the ecosystem for the management and conservation of biota, especially in rich and threatened biomes such as the Brazilian Cerrado. Therefore, this study aims to report the occupation of abandoned social wasp’s nests by termites in this biome. In this study, the occupation of two abandoned nests of Synoeca surinama (L.) by the termite Nasutitermes obscurus (Holmgren), recorded by chance, in April 2023 in a gallery forest with the same vegetation type of the Cerrado, located in the Grande Sertão Veredas National Park in southeastern Brazil. Both social wasp nests had their cells occupied by termites, which may have been used as a satellite nest for N. obscurus. This is the first record of a termite species occupying a social wasp’s nests; however, further studies are needed to better elucidate this relationship.

Chrysotus capellarii Soares & Carvalho-Filho sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on a single specimen collected in the department of Córdoba, Colombia, representing the first record of the longipalpus species group from the country (a photographic record is known from Costa Rica). The new species is easily recognized by the long palpus (about 2x longer than eye height) with a wide and oval apical lamella.

Prosierola is characterized by having a pair of conspicuous anteromedial metapostnotal foveae on the metapectal-propodeal disc. Little is known about this genus because it is rarely sampled in collections. Therefore, the main goal of this contribution is to expand the knowledge of intraspecific morphological variations and geographical distribution of its species that occur in Brazil. We sorted material from the main collections and obtained 69 specimens of Prosierola nasalis (Westwood) recorded for the first time from Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Pará, Rio Grande do Norte and Rio Grande do Sul; one of Prosierola obliqua Evans recorded for the first time from Distrito Federal; five of Prosierola rotunda Schiffler & Azevedo recorded for the first time from Pará; and 13 of Prosierola rufescens Evans recorded for the first time from Brazil (Amazonas, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais). The mesoscuto-scutellar foveae placed on the dorsal surface of the mesoscutellum shown to be highly variable in size, distance, and shape at both the intra- and interspecific levels.

Ants have been extensively used as bioindicators, however ants from different nest stratum and habitat affinity groups could distinctly respond to a same ecological process and environmental impact. In this study, we evaluated if nest stratum and habitat affinity matter in the response of ant assemblages to forest-pasture shifting. We tested the response of number of species in entire ant assemblages (soil surface and subterranean) and in each ant fauna stratum (only soil surface and only subterranean). In both cases, we also tested the response of number of ant species of each habitat affinity groups (forest specialist, open-habitat specialist and generalist). Ants were sampled in three plots for each habitat type in Southwestern Brazilian Amazon. We sampled 124 ant species. Only for soil surface ant assemblages, the number of species was different between the two habitats types, among habitat affinity ant groups and their number of species also changed with habitat shifting. Therefore, we corroborate the inclusion of samplings in different nest stratum and recommend the classification of ants according to their habitat affinity in monitoring programs that use ants as bioindicator. However, efforts must be done to improve the information availability on habitat affinity of ant species.

The corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is a specialist insect vector of the corn stunting disease complex. This leafhopper has been reported from different overwintering plants, and more information is required regarding other potential Brazilian plants that may serve as reproductive hosts for this specie. The present study aimed to evaluate possible plants for leafhopper reproduction usually found near the maize fields and the D. maidis reproductive differences among maize genotypes. Three trials were conducted to assess D. maidis survival and oviposition on different maize genotypes and other potential host plants. Survival, nymph presence, oviposition, and nymph eclosion rates were observed. No nymphs were observed in plants other than maize. The number of D. maidis adults was influenced by the different maize inbreds, and the mean number of laid eggs varied across the tested maize materials. Oviposition and nymph emergence was observed in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br., Poaceae] when D. maidis adults were offered only this plant as substrate, although significantly lower than those recorded on maize. Our results suggest that eliminating maize plants in the off-season could be used as a tool to reduce D. maidis reproduction, thereby minimizing the vector population size in the following season.