ABSTRACT The invasive pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is a pest that threatens the production of fruits, vegetable, and ornamental plants in Brazil. It is a phytophagous insect with a wide range of hosts; thus, there is an increasing demand for sustainable environmental-friendly control methods, such as biological control. This study aimed to investigate biological parameters of Ceraeochrysa everes (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) fed on 2nd instar nymphs of M. hirsutus and eggs of Ephestia (Anagasta) kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). The duration of the immature stages of C. everes was longer when the predator was fed on 2nd instar nymphs of M. hirsutus, compared to the control (E. kuehniella). The survival rate of immature C. everes was 82.5% and 100% when fed on 2nd instar nymphs of M. hirsutus and eggs of E. kuehniella, respectively. The type of food resource offered at the larval stage affected the pre-oviposition, oviposition, and post-oviposition periods and the longevity of C. everes females. Adult females C. everes from immature individuals fed an exclusive diet of E. kuehniella eggs had longer oviposition, fecundity (daily and total), fertility, and post-oviposition periods and longevity. Ceraeochrysa everes has the capacity for predation, development, and reproduction while having 2nd instar nymphs of M. hirsutus as food resource. Therefore, C. everes has a promising potential for controlling M. hirsutus.

ABSTRACT Commercial exploitation of the coffee crop is one of the most important activities in the world’s agricultural sector. One of the main phytosanitary problems affecting the crop is the presence of Meloidogyne incognita. Several measures have been tested for the management of this pathogen, albeit with low efficiency. The objective of this work was to quantify the damage and losses and to manage M. incognita race 1 with Pochonia chlamydosporia and Trichoderma harzianum biological nematicides, comparing them to a chemical nematicide. The experiment was carried out in a commercial area naturally infested by the nematode and cultivated with the conilon coffee variety ‘Vitória INCAPER 8142’, clone V02. The treatments were tested with Carbofuran nematicide and with biological nematicides composed of P. chlamydosporia Pc-10 and T. harzianum ESALQ 1306. The biological products were applied alone or in combination. The lowest NPF (final nematode population) occurred in plants treated with P. chlamydosporia and Carbofuran. P. chlamydosporia was the most effective biological agent in the management of M. incognita. There was a reduction in production with an increase in the nematode population. The highest application costs of management methods for M. incognita race 1 per hectare were for three and two applications of Carbofuran and three applications of P. chlamydosporia + T. harzianum. The treatments with lowest application costs were one application of T. harzianum and one application of P. chlamydosporia. It was concluded that all treatments were efficient for the management of M. incognita race 1, causing a decrease in the roots and soil population.

ABSTRACT Biological aspects and predatory capacity of Doru luteipes was assessed as a function of predation on Spodoptera frugiperda. The experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions of mean temperature of 25 ± 1 °C, relative humidity of 70 ± 10%, and 12:12 h (Light: Dark) photoperiod. To evaluate the biological parameters of D. luteipes, artificial diet, eggs and caterpillar (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th instars) of S. frugiperda were supplied. The completely randomized statistical design was used, with 10 replicates for each treatment. The nymphs (1st, 2nd and 3rd instars) and adult males and females of D. luteipes were individualized in Petri dish (9 cm diameter), with artificial diet as standard food (control). Nymphs of the 1st and 3rd instars of the predator lasted 4.5 and 6.9, days respectively, but they perished. The survival of D. luteipes is high, but there was variation when consuming the different instars of the caterpillar of S. frugiperda. Adults of D. luteipes did not consume caterpillars of the 4th, 5th and 6th instars of the prey. There was a significant difference for the feeding of D. luteipes with artificial diet, eggs and caterpillar of S. frugiperda with respect to the parameters number of eggs and preoviposition. Higher consumption of male and female D. luteipes occurs when they are fed with prey eggs.

ABSTRACT For natural enemies to be effectively used in pest control programs, it is important to understand the basic and applied ecology of an agroecosystem, such as guava orchards in semi-arid regions. We identified the parasitoids associated with the guava psyllid, Triozoida limbata (Enderlein 1918) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), as well as the rates of natural parasitism that occur in a semi-arid region of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. About 130 terminal branches with four leaves fully open and with signs and/or presence of the psyllid were collected from a commercial guava orchard and brought to the laboratory. The material was stored under controlled conditions until the parasitoids emerged. The parasitoids were counted and fixed in 70% ethanol for species identification. In total, 9,897 individuals of T. limbata (adults and immature) and 603 parasitoids were found. The primary parasitoid, Psyllaephagus trioziphagus (Howard, 1885) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), was associated with the guava psyllid, with 4.88% parasitism. Secondary parasitoids Signiphora Ashmead, 1880 (Hymenoptera: Signiphoridae), Aprostocetus Westwood, 1833, and Tetrastichus Haliday, 1844 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) were also identified.

ABSTRACT One of the major ecosystem services delivered to agriculture worldwide is the reduction of pests by natural enemies. However, the landscape composition affects multiple dimensions of pest control, and non-crop habitat surrounding farm fields shows variable responses across geographies. Here, crop damage and pest abundance were compared between local farms with two antagonistic land cover and land use aspects (1- High conservation, landscape with high structural complexity; 2- High degradation, landscapes with low complexity). The field data were collected at experimental guava orchards in the Cariri Paraibano, one of the driest regions in the Brazilian Caatinga. The results show that damage caused by orthopterans and their abundance was significantly smaller in the landscape with high structural complexity. Therefore, the results support the hypothesis that crop damage and pest abundance are smaller in landscapes with high structural complexity. Additionally, the results are very important for the dryland regions as they provide information about the relationship between landscape structure and crop damage plus pest abundance in a regional gap. As drylands are critically endangered in all American continents, sustainable agricultural landscapes with the application of natural cover restoration can help drylands to achieve sustainable development.