The baruzeiro or baru (Dipteryx alata Vogel) is a tree species native to Brazil that is known for its production of edible nuts with high nutritional value. However, little is known about the insects associated with this forest species. Therefore, this study aims to document the occurrence of leafhoppers on baruzeiro trees in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. We therefore examined baruzeiro plants in an afforestation plot at the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (18°43'33"S; 47°31'31"W) in August 2020, located in the municipality of Monte Carmelo, Minas Gerais. The leafhopper species was identified as Aetalion reticulatum (Linnaeus) (Hemiptera: Aethalionidae). The ant species Camponotus crassus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) was found to feed on the honeydew released by leafhoppers, demonstrating facultative mutualism between the species. This is the first report of A. reticulatum on D. alata in Minas Gerais.

The current study aimed to test how aqueous neem Azadirachta indica A. Juss. extract affects the attractiveness, feeding and development of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) on different: peanut cultivars. Tests were carried out under laboratory conditions with the cultivars IAC 503 and IAC 147 and aqueous neem extract in concentrations (mass/volume) of 5 and 10%, obtained from seeds and dried in an oven at a temperature of 35 to 38 °C for 15 days, with caterpillars offered a food choice preference test. For this, leaf discs from each treatment were placed in Petri dishes into which three first instar caterpillars were released. To assess resistance biology, single newly-hatched caterpillars were transferred to individual Petri dishes, where the following biological parameters were measured: larval mortality after 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 days; pupal mortality; total mortality; weight of 10-day-old caterpillars; pupal weight at 24 hours; and adult longevity. The main conclusions of the work, include: cultivar IAC 147 was less attractive and consumed less; cultivar IAC 503 plus 10% neem extract reduced leaf consumption; cultivar type did not affect caterpillar biological development, and 10% neem extract caused 100% mortality in S. frugiperda.

Fire is a frequent agent of disturbance in tropical savannas (e.g., Brazilian Cerrado), but relatively few studies have analyzed how the arthropod community responds to fire disturbance. Following the incursion of an accidental fire into a Cerrado fragment in Central Brazil, we investigated whether the arthropod community is structured by abiotic (climate or fire) or biotic (succession) factors. Our study commenced one week after fire and during the six months afterward. We found 22 arthropod orders, of which Diptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Blattaria and Coleoptera were the most representative. More than 40% of the arthropod abundance was recorded 40 days after the fire event. The overall arthropod abundance and richness fluctuated in the six months following the fire and does not seem to be related to climatic variables. Temporal beta diversity was explained by a reduction in richness differences along the intervals of time, but the community recovery needs to be treated with caution. The increase in replacement in the last intervals in relation to the fire event indicates that biotic interactions may occur with the arrival of late colonizers and suggest that arthropod communities need a long time to be restructured. These results indicate that the processes of restructuring of the arthropod communities after human-induced fire events are temporally complex, involving loss, gain and taxon replacement, but long-term studies are still needed to understand the dynamics of communities.

The cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd ex Sprengel) K. Schum.) is a native tree from the tropical rainforest and one of the most important fruit trees in the Amazon region. Its pulp and seeds are widely used in the alimentary industry, as well as food by the people of northern Brazil. Among the factors that can compromise the production of cupuassu are the attack of diseases and insect pests. The aim of this work is to report the attack of a wood-borer lepidopteran in commercial cupuassu plantation located in the district of Nova Califórnia, Rondônia State, Brazil. In April 2019 an infestation of a wood-borer insect was observed causing the death of branches. Branches containing caterpillars in their inside were collected and taken to the Entomology Laboratory of the Embrapa Acre, where they were placed in a screened cage. After about 60 days, an adult insect emerged, which was identified as Magulacra nigripennata, a lepidopteran associated with cocoa and cupuassu plantations in that country. A random survey of 100 plants in the plantation area detected an infestation level of 36%, indicating the harmful potential of this pest to the cupuassu crops in the Amazon region.

The order Diptera is constituted of insects that possess numerous varieties of habitats, these winged, commonly called mosquitoes, comprise a monophyletic group. Malaria transmitters in Brazil are represented by mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus, being it principal vector species Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) darlingi Root. Collectings were accomplished in the rural area of Cuiabá in the region of Coxipó do Ouro/MT, and a total 4,773 adult mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles were obtained. The prevailing species in the collectings where An. (Nys.) darlingi with 3,905 (81.8%), considered the vector of major epidemiological expression in the region, followed by Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) argyritarsis (Robineau-Desvoidy) 267 (5.6%) and Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) triannulatus (Neiva & Pinto) 226 (4.7%). This report might be useful to entomological surveillance, demonstrating that the Coxipó do Ouro/MT locality might be elected as an area to be monitored, once the presence of such vector in this type of environment indicates a potential malaria transmission risk for the neighbouring regions in the state of Mato Grosso.

Abstract. The spatial and temporal distribution of food resources, as well as the type, quantity, and quality of the foods stocked in the hive are the principal regulatory factors of the choice and intensity of floral resource harvesting by bees. We evaluated the annual foraging activity of Africanized honeybees Apis mellifera L. (Apidae) on the most abundant natural food resources available. Nineteen abundant plant species susceptible to foraging by bee communities in the interior of a secondary growth forest fragment with a transition physiognomy between Atlantic Forest and Cerradão vegetation were accompanied to estimate the intensity of floral resource collection by Africanized honeybees A. mellifera during the year. We determined the productivity of the flowers (the quality and quantity of nectar and/or pollen made available) and floral abundance (the quantities of flowers produced and the duration of flowering) of the 19 plant species selected. Africanized honeybees A. mellifera collected floral resources from 11 species. The intensities of visits per flower and per area of floral exposition were greater among plant species visited by Africanized honeybees when bee collecting behavior resulted in pollen transfer to the floral stigmas. It is estimated that 70.5% of all visits by Africanized honeybees A. mellifera individuals during the year in the study area occurred on Senegalia polyphylla (DC.) Britton & Rose (Fabaceae), Grazielia cf. dimorpholepis (Baker) R.M.King & H.Rob (Asteraceae), and Gouania cf. latifolia Reissek (Rhaminaceae); those visits demonstrated seasonal patterns, with peaks of activity between January and April. Weak foraging activity was observed in June and between June and November. Atividade de forrageio de abelhas africanizadas (Apis mellifera L.): um estudo das fontes de néctar e pólen em uma escala temporal Resumo. A distribuição espacial e temporal dos recursos alimentares, bem como o tipo, quantidade e qualidade do alimento estocado na colmeia são os principais fatores reguladores na escolha e intensidade da coleta dos recursos florais pelas abelhas. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar a atividade anual de forrageio de abelhas africanizadas Apis mellifera L. (Apidae) nas fontes alimentares naturais mais abundantes. A coleta de dados foi realizada em 19 espécies vegetais abundantes e suscetíveis ao forrageio pela comunidade de abelhas no interior de um fragmento de floresta secundária com fisionomia em transição entre Mata Atlântica e Cerradão, durante um ano. Para estimar a intensidade de coleta de recursos florais pelas abelhas africanizadas A. mellifera, foi determinada a produtividade das flores (qualidade e quantidade do néctar e/ou pólen alocada nas flores) e a abundância (quantidade de flores e duração do florescimento) das 19 espécies vegetais selecionadas. As abelhas africanizadas A. mellifera coletaram recursos florais em 11 espécies vegetais. As intensidades de visitas por flor e áreas de exposição floral foram superior nas espécies de plantas que foram visitadas pelas abelhas africanizadas A. mellifera cujos comportamentos de coleta resultavam em transferência de pólen aos estigmas das flores. Estima-se que 70,5% de todas as visitas promovidas por A. mellifera africanizada no decorrer do ano na região de estudo ocorreram em Senegalia polyphylla (DC.) Britton & Rose (Fabaceae), Grazielia cf. dimorpholepis (Baker) R.M.King & H.Rob (Asteraceae), e Gouania cf. latifolia Reissek (Rhaminaceae), demonstrando, dessa forma, um padrão sazonal, com picos de atividade em janeiro, abril e agosto, respectivamente. Por outro lado, houve fraca atividade de forrageio em junho e entre setembro e novembro.

Resumo. O presente estudo teve como objetivos avaliar a resposta funcional dos instares larvais e adultos de três espécies de coccinelídeos predadores [Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), Cycloneda sanguinea (Linnaeus) e Hippodamia convergens Guerin Meneville] em diferentes densidades de Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus), comparando o desempenho da espécie invasora com as espécies locais. Observou-se que H. axyridis consumiu mais insetos que as outras espécies; o número de pulgões predados pelas três espécies de coccinelídeos aumentou com a troca do instares larvais e, que as fêmeas tenderam a predar mais pulgões que os machos. A voracidade das larvas de 4º instar é similar a dos adultos, às vezes até maior, como no caso da C. sanguinea. Exceto no 1º instar larval, todos os outros estágios de vida mostraram aumento do consumo de pulgões à medida que a oferta de presas aumenta. Os resultados mostraram que a resposta funcional do tipo III foi indicada apenas pelas larvas de 3º instar de H. axyridis e nas demais espécies e estágios avaliados a resposta funcional foi do tipo II. Em geral H. axyridis apresentou assíntotas das respostas funcionais mais elevadas em comparação com as espécies anteriormente estabelecidas. Entretanto, a diferença entre a magnitude das curvas de respostas funcionais entre a invasora e as espécies locais não é muito acentuada, o que pode indicar pouco impacto da invasora sobre a população de recursos no campo e, uma tendência a adaptação e estabilização entre estas espécies da comunidade intraguilda. Functional response compared between Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), Cycloneda sanguinea (Linnaeus) and Hippodamia convergens Guerin Meneville (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) fed on Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Abstract. The study evaluated the functional response of larval instars and adult of three species of coccinellids predator [Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), Cycloneda sanguinea (Linnaeus) and Hippodamia convergens Guerin Meneville] in different densities of Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus), comparing the performance of the invasive species with the local species. It was observed that H. axyridis consumed more insects than the other species; the number of aphids preyed by the three species of coccinellids increased with the exchange of larval instars and that females tended to prey more aphids than males. The voracity of the 4th instar larvae is similar to that of adults, sometimes even larger, as in the case of C. sanguinea. Except for the first larval instar, all other stages of life have shown increased aphid consumption as the supply of prey increases. The results showed that the functional response of type III was indicated only by the 3rd instar larvae of H. axyridis and in the other species and stages evaluated the functional response was type II. In general H. axyridis presented asymptotes of the highest functional responses in comparison to the previously established species. However, the difference between the magnitude of the functional response curves between the invasive and the local species is not very pronounced, which may indicate little impact of the invasive on the population of resources in the field and a tendency to adaptation and stabilization between these species of the intraguild community.

Resumo. Anthonomus tomentosus (Faust) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) é registrado pela primeira vez na Amazônia Oriental, a partir de frutos de Malpighia emarginata DC. coletados no estado do Amapá, Brasil. Neste trabalho também são apresentados sinas de danos aos frutos e a distribuição geográfica de A. tomentosus no Brasil. First record of Anthonomus tomentosus (Faust) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Eastern Amazon Abstract. Anthonomus tomentosus (Faust) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is recorded for the first time in the Eastern Amazon, from fruits of Malpighia emarginata DC. collected in the state of Amapá, Brazil. In this work we also present the signals damages on the fruits and the geographical distribution of A. tomentosus in Brazil.

Abstract. Cooling and freezing experiments were carried out at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz / RJ). Flies colonies were established from specimens collected at the campus using a baited trap, as described for the species: Chrysomya putoria (Wiedemann), Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius), Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann), Musca domestica Linnaeus, Peckia ruficornis (Fabricius) and Peckia chrysostoma (Wiedemann). Prolonged exposures at lethal low temperatures can produce deleterious effects (including death) even if the insect does not freeze; during long-term exposure to low temperatures, the organisms may finally die from the exhaustion of energy reserves. Efeitos do resfriamento e congelamento no desenvolvimento de moscas de importância forense Resumo. Experimentos de resfriamento e congelamento foram realizados na Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz / RJ). Colônias de moscas foram estabelecidas a partir de espécimes coletados no campus usando uma armadilha com isca, conforme descrito para as espécies: Chrysomya putoria (Wiedemann), Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius), Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann), Musca domestica Linnaeus, Peckia ruficornis (Fabricius) e Peckia chrysostoma (Wiedemann). Exposições prolongadas em baixas temperaturas podem produzir efeitos deletérios (incluindo morte) mesmo se o inseto não congelar; durante a exposição prolongada a baixas temperaturas, os organismos podem morrer pelo esgotamento das reservas de energia.