Sebastião Lourenço de Assis Júnior

First Record of Poekilloptera Phalaenoides (Hemiptera: Flatidae) Hosting Mimosa Caesalpiniaefolia (Mimosaceae) in Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Poekilloptera phalaenoides (Hemiptera: Flatidae) was reported on Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia (Fabaceae) in Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Immature and adults of P. phalaenoides were collected for identification on M. caesalpiniaefolia, which represents the first report of this insect on this plant. This preliminary study showed that M. caesalpiniaefolia is a potential host of P. phalaenoides

Euselasia hygenius occulta (Riodininae): First Report of Feeding on Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) in Minas Gerais State, Brazil

ABSTRACT. Insect defoliators of native Myrtaceae in Brazil are important because of potential outbreaks in reforestation of exotic Eucalyptus spp. The objective of this study was to identify a lepidopteran defoliator of Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) found at the Federal University of Viçosa in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Insects were identified as Euselasia hygenius occulta Stichel 1919 (Lepidoptera: Riodininae). Larvae of this insect are gregarious and feed, rest, molt, and pupate synchronously. This species exhibits processionary behavior during its five instars. Caterpillars are yellow in the first instar and dark brown in the last one with six longitudinal white stripes, two on the back, and two on each side. Head of caterpillars is orange in color and the body has multiple setae per segment. Adults of this species have sexual dimorphism with females having a pale gray dorsal tinge, a darker gray ventral coloration and a 2.5 cm wingspan Males are dark gray ventrally and black dorsally with a 2.7 cm wingspan. The head of both sexes has a “V” shape when viewed from the front. Euselasia hygenius occulta should be included in monitoring programs of P. guajava pests, its native host, and also on those of Eucalyptus spp. due to the apparent palatability of these nonnative plants.

EGG STORAGE OF Podisus nigrispinus (HEMIPTERA: PENTATOMIDAE) PREDATORS AT LOW TEMPERATURES

Podisus nigrispinus are bedbug predators that are used as biological control agents of defoliating larvae in eucalypt plantations. The mass rearing of natural enemies produces large numbers of insects, but the number of predators produced may not coincide with the timing of the outbreaks of pest populations in the field. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different storage periods on the eggs of P. nigrispinus at low temperatures of 5, 13 and 15oC. The treatments consisted of periods of 5, 10, 15 and 20 days of storage of predator eggs at each temperature indicated. After the different periods of storage, the eggs were removed, and the egg viability, the survival and duration of nymphal instars and the sex ratio of emerged adults were evaluated. Egg storage at 5oC reduced the percentage of hatched eggs, while viability values close to 50% were observed for storage periods of up to 10 days at 13oC and up to 15 days at 15oC. For these treatments, the survival rates of nymphs were similar to those of the control. The different storage periods had no effect on the duration of the nymphal stage or the sex ratio of P. nigrispinus at any of the temperatures. Therefore, the storage temperature of 5oC caused the death of the majority of the embryos, while it is possible to store P. nigrispinus eggs up to 10 and 15 days at 13 and 15oC, respectively.

Morfometria de pupas e adultos de rhinochenus stigma linnaeus 1758 (coleoptera: curculionidae)

Beetles of genus Rhinochenus sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) damage the seeds of species of flora of Brazilian savannah such as jatoba (Hymenea courbaril L.) and copaiba (Copaifera langsdorffii Desf.). Thus, the objective of the present was to evaluate the morphology of pupae and adult R. stigma, as well as behavioral aspects such as emission of sounds, to assist in sexing this species. The insects were obtained from jatoba fruits collected in Sao Goncalo do Rio Preto, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The morphometric characteristics of both phases did not differ by t test, being not safe for the differentiation of the sexes. For adults of R. stigma, sexing was possible only after death, by dissection of the genitalia.

Poekilloptera phalaenoides (Hemiptera: Flatidae) on Abarema villosa (Fabales: Fabaceae) in Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Summary Abarema villosa Iganci & M. P. Morim (Fabales: Fabaceae) is a medicinal and ornamental plant in the Cerrado biome of Brazil. Poekilloptera phalaenoides L. (Hemiptera: Flatidae) is a polyphagous pest that imbibes plant sap. This insect was observed on A. villosa plants in Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Poekilloptera phalaenoides uses A. villosa plants as a site for shelter, feeding, and reproduction. This is the first report of A. villosa as a host of P. phalaenoides.

Can the Understory Affect the Hymenoptera Parasitoids in a Eucalyptus Plantation

The understory in forest plantations can increase richness and diversity of natural enemies due to greater plant species richness. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the presence of the understory and climatic season in the region (wet or dry) can increase the richness and abundance of Hymenoptera parasitoids in Eucalyptus plantations, in the municipality of Belo Oriente, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. In each eucalyptus cultivation (five areas of cultivation) ten Malaise traps were installed, five with the understory and five without it. A total of 9,639 individuals from 30 families of the Hymenoptera parasitoids were collected, with Mymaridae, Scelionidae, Encyrtidae and Braconidae being the most collected ones with 4,934, 1,212, 619 and 612 individuals, respectively. The eucalyptus stands with and without the understory showed percentage of individuals 45.65% and 54.35% collected, respectively. The understory did not represent a positive effect on the overall abundance of the individuals Hymenoptera in the E. grandis stands, but rather exerted a positive effect on the specific families of the parasitoids of this order.

First record of Myzus persicae (Sulzer, 1776) in Eucalyptus urophylla S. T. Blake

Insect pests are limiting factors to the expansion of Eucalyptus spp. plantations in Brazil. Aphids of the species Myzus persicae (Sulzer, 1776) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are a key pests in different crops and may negatively affect the growth, development and survival of plants. This paper reports the first record of M. persicae in seedlings of Eucalyptus urophylla grown in a greenhouse in Diamantina, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. This finding suggests the implementation of an integrated management program for this aphid, in order to prevent it from becoming a pest in Eucalyptus .

Colobura dirce dirce (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Larvae Damaging Cecropia hololeuca (Rosales: Urticaceae) in the Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Summary The Atlantic Forest biome includes the middle region of the Zona da Mata (MRZM) in southeastern Minas Gerais, Brazil. Cecropia hololeuca Miq. (Rosales: Urticaceae) is an arboreal plant endemic to Brazil. Species of Colobura Billberg (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) are common in forested habitats in the Neotropical Region. The aims of this study were to report damage by C. dirce dirce L. larvae on C. hololeuca in the MRZM, and to review host plants of Colobura spp. Two hundred fifty-two larvae were found damaging twenty 50 cm tall C. hololeuca plants on the campus of the “Universidade Federal de Viçosa” in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and brought to the “Laboratório de Controle Biológico de Insetos (LCBI).” Adults and exuviae of these larvae were deposited at the LCBI and identified in the “Departamento de Zoologia” of the “Universidade Federal do Paraná” in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, as C. dirce dirce. This is the first report of this lepidopteran on C. hololeuca in the MRZM. Seventeen species from 6 plant families have been reported as hosts for C. dirce dirce.

Dysschema sacrifica (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae): First Record on the Medicinal Plant Eremanthus erythropappus (Asteraceae) in Brazil

Summary Dysschema sacrifica (Hübner, 1831) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) was found feeding on Eremanthus erythropappus (DC.) MacLeish (Asteraceae) plants in Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Eggs, larvae and adults of this insect were collected on this host and sent for identification. This is the first record of D. sacrifica as a defoliator of this plant.