In this article we present the historical records of the Brazilian hawkmoths deposited in the Entomological Collection of the Museu de História Natural da Bahia (MHNBA-UFBA), including the historical Lepidoptera collection donated by Dr. Pedro de Araújo to the MHNBA-UFBA. The Sphingidae collection is composed of 243 specimens and represents 24 genera and 66 species. The historical collection consists of specimens captured between the years 1924 and 1934, and we also included to the collection specimens that were captured more recently, between 1982 and 2014. The subfamily Macroglossinae presented the greatest species richness and Smerinthinae the presented the least species richness. Of all of specimens in the collection, 151 came from São Paulo State (Brazil), 41 from Santa Catarina State, 50 from Bahia State and only one from Pernambuco State. Three topotypes were identified in the collection, namely: Eumorpha translineatus (Rothschild, 1895), Xylophanes crenulata Vaglia & Haxaire, 2009 and Xylophanes alineae Haxaire & Mielke, 2018.

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 In addition to the list of records based on early publications, we add unpublished data of Lonchaeids recovered from plant samples collected in the Instituto Biológico, São Paulo, Brazil.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.

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.

Hemipterans and ants are frequently recorded in trophobiotic associations, generally mutualism. Nests of the fire-ant Solenopsis virulens (Smith) found at the base of trees in the Atlantic Forest biome, Brazil, were investigated for their commensal fauna. The present study provides new information about the mutualism between the fire-ant with hemipterans Membracidae and Monophlebidae found in their nests, this report is the first mention of this kind of relationships in South America. Such associations are very common between ants and treehoppers but have seldom been reported with the family Monophlebidae.

Pasture areas have been decreasing over the years in Brazil, largely due to the expansion of agricultural areas, mainly in the Southeast region. Natural or planted pastures are subject to attack by insects that can become pests depending on their level of infestation and among them are the Scarabaeidae beetles. The scarce information on the species of this family existing in the region of Bálsamo (São Paulo) makes a study on the occurrence of these species necessary, thus generating data that can contribute to identification and information on possible existing pest species. During September 2018 to August 2019, collections of phytophagous Scarabaeidae species were done in pasture areas with a light trap. A total of 446 adults from the subfamilies Dynastinae, Melolonthinae and Rutelinae were collected. In Dynastinae the genera Bothynus, Coelosis, Cyclocephala, Chalepides and Actinobolus were collected, in Melolonthinae the genera Plectris and Liogenys and in Rutelinae the genera Anomala, Geniates, Leucothyreus, Lobogeniates, Byrsopolis and Trizogeniates were found. Among the species collected, some are described as pests in crops, including pastures, such as Liogenys suturalis Blanchard, which was the species that had the largest number of individuals during the collection period, being indicated as a species worthy of more detailed studies.

Hexacladia hilaris Burks (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is a parasitoid associated to several stink bug species in Costa Rica, Porto Rico and United States. In April 2018, at the Passo Fundo (28º15’46” S / 52º24’24” O), Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, specimens of H. hilaris were collected from Chinavia erythrocnemis (Berg) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). This is the first record of this parasitoid in South America as well as its association with C. erythrocnemis.

The objective was to assess the selectivity and sublethal effect of botanical extracts on adults of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Plant species used: Rosmarinus officinalis L., Mikania glomerata Spreng., Varronia curassavica Jacq., Chenopodium ambrosioides L., Vermonia polyanthes Spreng., Plectranthus amboinicus Spreng., Tetradenia riparia Codd., Artemisia absinthium L., Cymbopogon citratus Stapf. Plant material were reared in laboratory and leaves collected during the morning were used to prepare the extracts as following: 100 g of leaves from each plant were macerated and immersed in 300 mL of triple-extracted methyl alcohol and evaporated on rotavapor. Then, 250 mg of crude extract was diluted in 1000 mL of water. The experimental design for selectivity was done in randomized blocks with five repetitions, following a standardized protocol of the International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC) and accordingly classified. In sublethal effect, the design was completely randomized with twenty repetitions, where the eggs exposed to parasitism were sprayed with the treatments. In both experiments the control was twofold (water and chlorpyrifos). Regarding selectivity, the botanical extracts of M. glomerata, C. ambrosioides, V. polyanthes, P. amboinicus, A. absinthium and C. citratus were classified as slightly harmful (class 2), chlorpyrifos as moderately harmful (class 3). In the evaluation of sublethal effects, the botanical extracts of C. ambrosioides and C. citratus initially presented reduced number of parasitized eggs, reduction in total parasitized eggs and female longevity. It can be concluded that C. citratus botanical extract has small selectivity and causes sublethal effects on T. pretiosum adults.

Evaluation of resistance of Vigna unguiculata L. landraces, used as green beans, to Aphis craccivora Koch was tested. Eleven landraces and standard genotypes were used in a free choice protocol: BR 17-Gurguéia, VITA 7 (susceptible), BRS Guariba and TVu 408P2 (resistant). A completely randomized blocks design was used with six replicates. Seedlings were infested with five six-day-old adult insects. The number of alive adults after 48 h and of alive nymphs after 96 h was evaluated. The results evidenced that there are high genetic diversity among the landraces, the antibiosis as the main mechanism of resistance. By means of multivariate analysis we suggest crosses among the commercial cultivar BRS Guariba and the most dissimilar varieties CCE-088, CCE-075, CCE-013 and CCE-062 to obtain superior hybrids.

The family Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera) comprises over 6,000 described and widely distributed species. However, studies on interactions with other insects such as ants, parasitoids, and with food plants in the Neotropical region, are still scarce, even though such information are fundamental for better understanding the natural history of this taxonomic group. This study reports a new food plant to larvae of Lycaenidae species in the neotropics, as well as its parasitoid. A Lycaenidae larva was found and collected for immature stage observation under laboratory conditions. The larva fed on petals and seeds of Zornia latifolia Sm. (Fabaceae). Nineteen days after pupation in laboratory a larvipupal parasitoid of the genus Conura (Chalcididae) had egressed. This is the first report of tritrophic relationship amongst Z. latifolia, a Lycaenidae larva and its larvipupal parasitoid of the genus Conura in a periurban area near remnants of the Atlantic Forest, in Northeastern Brazil.

Two strains of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) were first described in the United States; in Brazil, in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso, and western Paraná they have also been reported. This study was aimed at identifying these strains in Norte Pioneiro and Campos Gerais, in the states of Paraná and southwestern São Paulo. Larvae of S. frugiperda were collected in the cities of Ponta Grossa, Tibagi, Arapoti, and Wenceslau Braz in Paraná, and in the city of Itaberá, in São Paulo. PCR-RFLP genotyping of the COI gene was carried out using sixty-six specimens. Based on their electrophoretic pattern, 51 individuals were identified as corn strain, five as rice strain, and 10 as hybrids (Rice in MspI and Maize in SacI). Our findings indicate that both S. frugiperda strains are present the study areas.