Case reports are extremely valuable in forensic entomology and very rare in Brazil. In this report we describe a case of multiple colonization of a preserved male cadaver found indoors in Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil, by four dipterans species of four different families: Fannia canicularis (Linnaeus, 1761) (Diptera: Fanniidae), Microcerella halli (Engel, 1931) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), Muscina stabulans (Fallén, 1817) (Diptera: Muscidae) and Sarconesia chlorogaster (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). The development time data of the species were used to estimate the minimum postmortem interval (PMI). Considering the methodology applied in this study and the values calculated for the species development, it was possible to estimate a minimum PMI of 24 days. Besides the diversity of dipteran species colonizing a single human body in an indoor environment, this case report reinforces the importance of these species as forensically indicator to estimate the time of death.

This work reports the first photographic record of the Symmachia basilissa basilissa Bates, 1868 subspecies, a butterfly originally described by Henry Walter Bates in 1868. This subspecies had only been recorded three before but had never been photographed alive in Brazil. The photograph was taken in the Chapada das Mesas National Park, located in the southern part of the state of Maranhão. This record was uploaded and georeferenced on the iNaturalist app/website. The taxon Symmachia basilissa comprises four subspecies, and the article provides information on the morphological differences between them. We also discuss the use of iNaturalist and similar tools to integrate academic and citizen science for a better understanding of biodiversity, especially in tropical regions and areas that are difficult to access. Overall, our work makes a valuable contribution to the knowledge of this data deficient butterfly species and highlights the importance of utilizing new technologies and collaborative approaches to advance scientific research.

Psychoda Latreille is one of the largest genera of Psychodidae, with around 450 species, from which more than 130 are known from only one of the sexes. This is a result of the high diversity, sympatry of close related species and scarcity of diagnostic characters to accurately associate males and females in this genus. Here we describe a new species, Psychoda dactyla sp. n., from Brazil, Amazonas, São Gabriel da Cachoeira with morphological description of male and female specimens associated by DNA-barcoding.

Species richness of stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) was organized and updated from previously published data. From this research, we found 28 genera with 259 valid species and 62 undescribed species, in addition, brief comments on the classification used and geographical occurrences were included.

The Neotropical genus of stingless bees Melipona Illiger, 1806 is exclusive to Tropical America and has its greatest diversity in South America, with about 74 described species. In Bahia, there is an occurrence record for 12 species of Melipona, distributed in four subgenera. Among the Melipona (Melikerria) that occur in Bahia, we highlight Melipona (Melikerria) quinquefasciata Lepeletier, 1836. Although widely distributed in Brazil, its underground nesting habit associated with its preference for high altitude areas, make the species extremely vulnerable. This work sought to describe nests and map the occurrence of this species for the State of Bahia, since its record is limited to areas of Chapada Diamantina. Knowledge about the biogeography of the species is extremely important, strengthening its sustainable creation that respects the area of ​​occurrence of the species, as well as seeking alternatives and public policies for sustainable conservation, since its area of ​​occurrence is extremely vulnerable to the expansion of the agricultural frontier in the State.

This study was conducted at the Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cassilândia, Brazil from September 2017 to December 2021 in a Brazilian Cerrado. Adults of Anomala testaceipennis Blanchard were collected associated with host plants and taken to the laboratory for studies. Some phytophagous scarab beetles found host plants through detection of plant volatiles. The detection of those odorants is intermediated by antennal sensilla. The main goals of the present study are to describe the antennal sensilla of A. testaceipennis and check the host plants used as food resource. This specie was found feeding on flowers of: Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil (Fabaceae), Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae), Buchenavia sp. (Combretaceae), Cordia glabrata (Boraginaceae), Inga edulis (Fabaceae), Moquilea tomentosa (Chrysobalanaceae), Paubrasilia echinata (Fabaceae), Tabernaemontana catharinensis (Apocynaceae), Tapirira guianensis (Anacardiaceae), Xylophragma pratense (Bignoniaceae). To the sensilla study, antennae were dissected and images of the sensilla were obtained using a scanning electron microscope. Antennae of A. testaceipennis have sensilla chaetica, trichodea, placodea (type I, II, and III), coeloconica (type I and II), basiconica (type I), and ampullacea (or pore). Males have a total of about 6,243 sensilla of which 5,868 (93.99%) are sensilla placodea, 370 (5.93%) are sensilla coeloconica, and 5 (0.08%) are sensilla basiconica. Females have a total of about 5,119 sensilla of which 4,820 (94.16%) are sensilla placodea, 270 (5.27%) are sensilla coeloconica, and 29 (0.57%) are sensilla basiconica.

The present research aimed to study the functional groups of ants in organic and conventional cropping areas and assess their influence on the abundance of other insects in agroecosystems. Sampling was carried out in eight rural properties with organic, and eight with conventional crops in Paraíba do Sul, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Fifteen pitfall soil traps were installed to collect ants in each property, in April and May 2016. The ants collected were dry-mounted and identified. The insect abundances of the orders Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Orthoptera were also obtained. Ants were classified into seven functional groups. The functional group with the largest number of species was “omnivores that inhabit the soil and the leaf litter,” followed by “omnivores that inhabit the soil, the leaf litter, and the plants.” The group “omnivores that inhabit the soil and the leaf litter” showed the highest abundance of ants in both types of crops. The mean richness of functional groups was significantly higher in organic than in conventional crops. We only observed the effect of the abundance of ants of the group “omnivores that inhabit the soil, the leaf litter, and the plants” on the abundance of coleopterans in conventional crops. Hence, areas with organic crops are more favorable for maintaining an ant fauna with higher functional diversity than areas using the conventional cropping system.

Galls are small structures induced mostly by insects in different plant organs, and have different shapes and colorations. Knowledge on galls is still sparse in the semiarid region of Bahia. Therefore, the goal of this study was to characterize galls in fragments of seasonal deciduous forest. Sampling was performed in the Bahia municipalities of Boa Nova, Jequié, Poções and Vitória da Conquista. In each site, one fragment was chosen, and in each fragment, plots were established to survey galls on vegetation. We sampled 158 gall morphotypes, representing 49 (morpho) species distributed across 15 families of host plants. Myrtaceae and Malphigiaceae had the highest numbers of gall morphotypes. Most galls were collected from leaves, whereas the most common gall morphotypes were globoid and fusiform.

Odonata sampling effort in the state of Minas Gerais has intensified throughout the 21st century. However, research on these insects in some regions and ecosystems such as the Deciduous Forest are incipient, and the effect of prolonged dry periods over these insects is still unknown. This study thus aimed to assess changes in adult Odonata species composition over one year in a Brazilian Deciduous Forest and the Odonata species richness in the Mata Seca State Park in the Manga and Itacarambi municipalities in the Northern region of the state of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Twenty-four days of sampling were distributed in February, May, July and November, adopting an active search through entomological nets close to lentic environments (Lagoa Angical, Lagoa Comprida, Lagoa Encantada, Lagoa da Prata and two wetlands of Lajedo da Lua); lotic environments (São Francisco river) and in associated terrestrial ecosystems. In total, 55 species were collected. Rainy and dry periods altered Odonata communities’ composition but did not affect species richness and abundance due to the presence of permanent lagoons associated with the São Francisco river. This study shows the importance of the Mata Seca State Park for preserving Odonatofauna in the state of Minas Gerais and for protecting those permanent lagoons.

Aedes aegypti Linnaeus mosquito is a vector of several viruses that cause diseases of medical and veterinary importance. Dengue, yellow fever, Zika and Chikungunya viruses are more important arboviruses transmit by mosquitoes. A. aegypti life cycle goes through 4 stages of development and the time for development from egg to adult mosquito depends on a series of biotic and abiotic factors such as temperature, food availability and population density, studied in different species of insects. In this work we studied the effects of different food concentrations, temperatures variation, pH gradient and luminosity on the development of A. aegypti larvae. The eggs were collected in the city of Tangará da Serra/MT and larvae in the L1 stage were used for the tests. The results showed that all the factors studied interfered in the larval development. The increase in food concentration and temperature accelerated the development of larvae to pupae. The acidic pH (pH = 4) proved to be unsuitable for the development of larvae (100% lethality), with the ideal pH for the development of larval stages being equal to pH = 6. Although in all light variations (dark, light and photoperiod 10L/ 14D) there was complete development of the larvae, the photoperiod test proved to be more adequate. This study helps to better understand the success, dispersion and adaptation of the A. aegypti mosquito in different regions under different environmental conditions.