The present communication deals with a faunistic study on two species of Latrodectus Walckenaer with medically important issues from Oman. Several specimens of Latrodectus have been collected at various localities in Sultanate of Oman. This study records two species of Latrodectus from Oman, of which Latrodectus cinctus Blackwall only from northern Oman and Latrodectus geometricus C.L. Koch from both northern and southern Oman.

Restinga forests are plant formations that occur on plains of quaternary sandy deposits along the Brazilian coast. Despite historical reduction of the Restinga forests, little effort has been made to know the butterfly fauna of these areas. This paper is an important contribution to the butterfly’s knowledge, being the second inventory in the Restinga forest of northeastern Brazil. The survey was conducted in the Restinga de Cabedelo National Forest (FLONA de Cabedelo, following the Portuguese abbreviation) and aimed to provide preliminary information on the butterflies richness in this region. A total of 89 butterfly species and 1,503 individuals were recorded at FLONA de Cabedelo. Hesperiidae was the richest family (34 species), followed by Nymphalidae (33) Pieridae (eight), Lycaenidae (seven), Riodinidae (five), and Papilionidae (two). In general, the butterfly fauna of the FLONA de Cabedelo is dominated by species widely distributed and commonly found in open or forested areas in Brazil. Five species are new records in Paraíba state: Calydna sturnula (Geyer), Theope foliorum (Bates), Cogia hassan (Butler), Vehilius inca (Scudder), and Chiothion asychis (Stoll). We suggest carrying out monthly samplings which will certainly increase the list of species herein presented.

The knowledge of host plants, distribution and economic importance of Lonchaeidae is scarce in Latin America. We have recovered specimens of Lonchaeidae from most fruit samples containing specimens of Tephritidae. The compilation of information is essential to determine the diversity of species and the relationship with their hosts. In addition to the list of records based on early publications, we add unpublished data of Lonchaeids recovered from plant samples collected in the Instituto Biológico, São Paulo, Brazil. In total, 18 species of Lonchaeidae, belonging to the genera Dasiops, Lonchaea and Neosilba were registered in São Paulo, and associated with 111 host plant species and 27 botanical families. New records are listed and geographical distribution is available by specific maps.

Field assessment of integrated management of BT cotton pests was carried out in two consecutive seasons; 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 in the experimental research farm of the Kassala University, Sudan. Four insecticides (imidacloprid, abamectin, profenofos, and lufenuron) from different chemical groups and with a different mode of action and three levels (43.81 kgha-1, 87.62 kgha-1, and 131.43 kgha-1) of soil-applied nitrogen were tested in the IPM package. Insecticides were applied at the recommended doses. A total of 7 weekly counts of prevailing natural enemies [Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) and Aenasius bambawalei Hayat] were carried out for 4 weeks before spraying and 3 weeks post spraying starting the 3rd week from spraying. Results indicated that nitrogen level exerted no significant effects on the populations of prevailing natural enemies; C. carnea and A. bambawalei. Based on average post spray counts and percentage reduction over the control, all insecticide treatments significantly reduced the population of the natural enemies. Imidacloprid and profenofos exerted the highest reduction of C. carnea population followed by abamectin and lufenuron (56.03, 48.25, 07.78 and 06.61% respectively) in the first season, while profenofos, imidacloprid, lufenuron, and abamectin induced the highest reductions (55.94, 45.05, 17.57 and 17.33% respectively) in the second season. On the other hand, reductions in A. bambawalei population (abundant in season 1 only) followed the order; imidacloprid, lufenuron, abmectin, and profenofos (03.95, 02.63, 202.63, and 01.32%, respectively). Interactions between nitrogen fertilization and insecticide were not significant as measured by the population of prevailing natural enemies.

Anopheline species were sampled in different ecotones at Maracá Ecological Station and in Cantá municipality, both in Roraima State, Brazil, in June 2016.  Nine species were recorded. Six species belong to the subgenus Nyssorhynchus and three species to the subgenus Anopheles. The most abundant species collected were Anopheles triannulatus s.l., Anopheles nuneztovari s.l. and Anopheles oswaldoi species B. The remaining species had frequencies lower than 10%. While A. triannulatus s.l. was the most frequent and the most widely distributed species in the studied area, Anopheles darlingi Root, the main malaria vector in the Brazilian Amazon region, was captured in two different ecotones and in low frequency. Our findings suggest that the risk of malaria outbreaks at Maracá Ecological Station may be low. This study also describes the first record of Anopheles costai Fonseca & Ramos in Maracá Ecological Station, Roraima State, increasing the distribution range of this taxon.

Radish is a short cycle horticultural product from family Brassicaceae. Between the insects found on radish leaves, potato green aphid (Myzus persicae Sulzer) is one of the main pests of this culture, causing economic damage. Synthetic fertilizers used in conventional crops can promote changes in the pattern of amino acids in plants, leading to a higher insect damage. The source of fertilization is one of the factors that could influence in the incidence of pests. The objective of the study was to evaluate the incidence of potato green aphid and other pests on radish plants grown with different doses of organic fertilizer. The experiment was carried under semi-field conditions, in Fortaleza (Ceará State). A completely randomized design was used, with six replicates. The treatments consisted of five doses of organic compost (0; 45; 60; 75; 90 t.ha-1). For the population survey of pests and natural enemies, counts were made in three evaluations (7, 14 and 21 days after sowing). The counting data were subjected to deviance analysis using a generalized linear model (GLM). It was observed significant differences in the number of adults M. persicae in the treatments of 75 and 90 t.ha-1. Presence of leafminer (Lyriomiza sp.) was observed on plants without and with the lower doses of organic fertilizer. Even using organic fertilizers that promote a slower liberation of nutrients, high incidence of pests (Mainly M. persicae) was observed on radish plants.

Adult females of most black flies species (Diptera, Simuliidae) exhibit a blood-sucking habit. Immature stages develop in water courses and are important in the ecology of lotic environments. We aim to understand the distribution of immature simuliids in the hydrographic sub-basin of the Comandaí river, in Northwest of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. For that purpose, simuliids were sampled in three stretches (source, intermediate and mouth) of nine streams, distributed along the three main regions of the sub-basin. Evaluations of the influence of abiotic factors in different spatial and temporal scales were made. Sampling was carried out in two seasons: between September and November 2016 (spring), and between April and July 2017 (autumn). In total, 17,146 individuals were sampled (larvae of last instars and pupae), which resulted in the identification of eleven Simuliidae species. The most abundant species were Simulium pertinax Kollar (77.55%), followed by Simulium incrustatum Lutz (14.56%) and Simulium subpallidum Lutz (2.35%). Regarding the identification of indicator species, S. pertinax, Simulium jujuyense Paterson & Shannon, S. subpallidum and Simulium orbitale Lutz stood out in mouth stretches, and Simulium rubrithorax Lutz in source stretches. Environmental variables such as conductivity, altitude, canopy cover and stream width were interpreted as important conditioning factors for the distribution of simuliid immature stages. In general, we concluded that Simuliidae are more abundant during spring in the study area, mainly downstream. This information may contribute to the implementation of efficient measures to control species of health importance in southern Brazil.

The Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) is a polyphagous pest adapted to tropical and subtropical climates, which are responsible for the highest share of fruit production. Fruit fly surveys are frequently done by installing traps at heights easily reached by the collector, between 1.5 and 2.5 meters. This study aims to inform fruit fly monitoring strategies by assessing two trap heights (around 2 m and 10 m) in four environments (agricultural and forest) at the “Luiz de Queiroz” Campus, Piracicaba, São Paulo state, Brazil. Each collection environment was considered a block, and eight multilure traps were installed at each of the two heights on four plants per block. A generalized linear model was used for non-normal data with negative binomial distribution to compare the abundance of C. capitata between trap heights and areas. The higher traps, positioned at around 10 m, collected significantly more specimens of C. capitata than those at approximately 2 m in height. The Mediterranean fruit fly was more frequent in the cultivated environments and areas with human activity than in natural areas.

The use of high-resolution images in studies of morphology, taxonomy and systematics has been increasingly frequent, especially in Insecta. However, suitable lighting systems are still very expensive and/or difficult to use. On the other hand, currently the use of 3D printers has helped to make lighting equipment more accessible for researchers to equip their laboratories. Here we present a low-cost circular LED dome lighting system for capturing scientific micro and macro photography on a self-assembly stereomicroscope. We also present the necessary components for making the dome, as well as the elements used to capture the photographs.