Foram instalados sete campos experimentais em altitudes entre 200 e 1050 metros, nos municípios de Afonso Cláudio e Venda Nova do Imigrante no Espírito Santo, para desenvolvimento de avaliações pré-introdutórias de Trichogramma. Visou-se determinar as espécies nativas e conhecer o índice de parasitismo natural, para utilização em programas de manejo integrado da traça-do-tomateiro. Em todos os campos comerciais de tomateiros foram coletados apenas Trichogramma pretiosum Riley. No primeiro ano de coleta, o número médio de amostras de cartelas com parasitismo, bem como o número médio de ovos parasitados, apresentaram uma relação inversa, quando comparado com as regiões de altitudes entre 200 e 850 metros. Em regiões de menor altitude (200, 380 e 450 metros), foram observadas presença constante desses parasitóides de ovos em todas as áreas amostradas. No segundo ano de coleta não foi observado o mesmo comportamento em relação ao primeiro, tendo os valores médios dos parâmetros sido inferiores, com o número médio de ovos parasitados por cartela reduzido pela metade. Os resultados de dois anos de coleta mostraram que a agressividade das linhagens de T. pretiosum foi diferenciada em função das áreas.

Adaptation to novel host plants is a much-studied process in arthropod herbivores, but not in their predators. This is surprising, considering the attention that has been given to the role of predators in host range expansion in herbivores; the enemy-free space hypothesis suggests that plants may be included in the host range of herbivores because of lower predation and parasitism rates on the novel host plants. This effect can only be important if natural enemies do not follow their prey to the novel host plant, at least not immediately, thus allowing the herbivores to adapt to the novel host plant. Hence, depending on the speed with which natural enemies follow their prey to a new host plant, enemy-free space on novel host plants may only exist for a limited period. This situation may presently be occurring in a system consisting of the herbivorous moth Thyrinteina arnobia Stoll (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) that attacks various species of Myrtaceae, such as guava ( Psidium guajava L.) and jaboticaba ( Myrciaria spp.), in Brazil. Since the introduction of eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) species into this country some 100 years ago, the moth has included this plant species in its host range and frequently causes outbreaks, a phenomenon that does not occur on the native host plant species. This suggests that the natural enemies that attack the herbivore on native species are not very effective on the novel host. We tested this hypothesis by studying the searching behaviour of one of the natural enemies, the omnivorous predatory bug Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). When offered a choice between plants of the two species, the predators (originally collected in eucalyptus plantations) preferred guava to eucalyptus when both plant species were clean, infested with herbivores, or damaged by herbivores but with herbivores removed prior to the experiments. The bugs preferred herbivore-damaged to clean guava, and showed a slight preference for damaged to clean eucalyptus. These results may explain the lack of impact of predatory arthropods on herbivore populations on eucalyptus and suggests that eucalyptus may offer an enemy-free space for herbivores.

Biological characteristics of Trichogramma pretiosum lineages, reared in Anagasta kuehniella and Sitotroga cerealella eggsThe biological characteristics of five lineages of T. pretiosum Riley (Hym.: Trichogrammatidae), collected from tomato crops, and reared in A. kuehniella (Zeller) and S. cerealella (Olivier) eggs were evaluated. The parasitism rate of the lineages, varied from 56,1 to 68.6%, when the host was A. kuehniella, being higher than for S. cerealella. The viability of all lineages, when reared in S. cerealella eggs, was superior to 90%; however, only those lineages reared in S. cerealella eggs and collected in Afonso Cláudio and Venda Nova dos Imigrantes (Espirito Santo State, Brazil) were significantly higher than those reared on A. kuehniella. The longevity of the offspring submitted to the parasitism, was higher in all the lineages reared in A. kuehniella eggs. All five lineages can be mass reared using both hosts. However, considering the parasitism rate and the quality of the progeny, the host A. kuehniella seems to be superior than S. cerealella.

Resumo O sistema de defesa induzido de plantas é ativado quando herbívoros se alimentam das mesmas. Alternativamente, herbívoros podem se adaptar a espécies de plantas filogeneticamente pró-ximas ao seu hospedeiro de origem. O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar o desenvolvimento de Thyrinteina arnobia em plantas de goiaba (hospedeiro de origem) e de eucalipto (hospedeiro novo) em campo. Adicionalmente, estudou-se a biologia deste inseto em laboratório fornecendo folhas de eucalipto previamente danificadas por lagartas de T. arnobia e folhas sem danos. A sobrevivência larval em eucalipto, 78,00%, foi superior à de goiaba, 29,33%. O ciclo larval foi de 27,90 dias em goiaba e de 30,30 dias em eucalipto. Em testes de laboratório, o ciclo larval em eucalipto limpo, 36,39 dias, foi maior do que em eucalipto danificado, 32,89 dias. A mortalidade larval em eucalipto danificado foi de 30,00% e de 10,00% em eucalipto limpo. Os resultados indicam que a goiaba não é um bom hospedeiro para T. arnobia possivelmente por apresentar um sistema mais efetivo de defesa. Embora o eucalipto possa ser um hospedeiro mais favorável ao desenvolvimento e estabelecimento do inseto, pode também reduzir populações do herbívoro ativando o seu sistema de defesa induzido.Termos para indexação: mortalidade larval, goiaba. Adaptation of Thyrinteina arnobia to a new host and herbivore induced defense in eucalyptusAbstract The induced defense system of plants is activated when herbivorous start to injury plants. Alternatively, herbivores may adapt to plants that are phylogenetically close to their original host. This work aimed at comparing the life history of Thyrinteina arnobia on guava plants (origin host) with eucalyptus (the new host) in the field. The biology of the insect in the laboratory on both eucalyptus leaves previously injured by the caterpillars of T. arnobia and on clean leaves was also studied. In the field, the larvae survivorship of T. arnobia on eucalyptus was 78.00% and on guava was 29.33%. The larvae cycle was 27.90 days on guava and 30.30 days on eucalyptus. At the laboratory, tests showed that the larvae cycle on clean eucalyptus leaves lasted 36.39 days while on previously injured leaves, only 32.89 days. The larvae mortality on injured eucalyptus leaves was 30.00%, and 10.00% on clean leaves. The results indicate that guava plants are not a suitable host for T. arnobia probably due to a more effective defense system. Although the eucalyptus may be a better host, it can also reduce the herbivore population by activating its herbivore induced defense system. Index terms: larval mortality, guava.(1) Aceito para publicação em 22 de janeiro de 2003. E-mail: aholtz@insecta.ufv.br, hamilton@insecta.ufv.br, pallini@ufv.br, zanuncio@ufv.br, claudinei@insecta.ufv.br (3) UFV, Dep. de Biologia Animal, Setor de Entomologia. Bolsista do CNPq. E-mail: janne@insecta.ufv.br IntroduçãoAs interações tróficas entre planta e insetos herbívoros são importantes na determinação, distribuição e ocorrência dos organismos em ecossistema natura...

This work investigated the influence of two alimentary sources: aphids and mites, in the morphology of the fat body of E. connexa. Results showed that fat body cells of individuals fed with aphids presented areas more than three folds higher (511 ± 98,7µm2 ) than those of beetles fed with mites (162 ± 34,9µm 2 ). Histochemical tests showed that nutrient amount stored in fat body was higher in lady-beetles fed on aphids.

-Plants can develop mechanisms of defense that reduces the effects of herbivore attacks. In response, the herbivores evolve to breaking the defense mechanisms of plants. Herbivores may also escape from the plant defense system by migrating to other host whose defense is not effective against them. In Brazil, outbreaks of the defoliator caterpillar Thyrinteina arnobia Stoll in Eucalyptus sp. are frequently observed. However, the native host of this insect is guava, Psidium guajava where outbreaks are not registered. The absence of outbreaks in P. guajava may be related to the development of defense mechanisms in that specie of Myrtaceae, which has apparently not yet occurred on eucalyptus. Here we investigated the performance of T. arnobia reared on its origin host plant, in comparison with those reared on its exotic host, Eucalyptus sp. The intrinsic growth rate of T. arnobia was higher on eucalyptus than on P. guajava. It is possible that the defense mechanism on guava plants acts as a chemical barrier, probably reducing the digestibility of the insect, which could affect the development of the current population and the next generations.KEY WORDS: Constitutive defense, Eucalyptus cloesiana, Psidium guajava, herbivory RESUMO -As plantas podem desenvolver mecanismos de defesa que reduzem o efeito do ataque de herbívoros. Em resposta, os insetos herbívoros evoluem de forma a quebrar os mecanismos de defesa das plantas. Uma das formas que os insetos têm de escapar do sistema de defesa das plantas é migrar para outros hospedeiros cujo sistema de defesa não seja eficiente a seu ataque. No Brasil, em plantios de Eucalyptus spp., observam-se surtos freqüentes da lagarta desfolhadora Thyrinteina arnobia Stoll, cujo hospedeiro nativo é a goiaba. A não ocorrência de surtos populacionais em goiaba pode estar relacionada ao desenvolvimento de mecanismos de defesa, nessa espécie de Myrtaceae, o que aparentemente ainda não ocorreu com o eucalipto. Por isso, investigou-se neste trabalho se o desempenho de T. arnobia criada em seu hospedeiro de origem, plantas de goiaba, difere do seu desempenho em hospedeiro exótico, o eucalipto. A taxa intrínseca de crescimento populacional de T. arnobia (r m ) foi maior em eucalipto do que em plantas de goiaba. O pior desempenho de T. arnobia em plantas de goiaba possivelmente se deu por atuação do sistema de defesa constitutiva dessas plantas. Barreiras químicas das plantas de goiaba podem estar atuando principalmente na redução da digestibilidade do inseto, afetando o desenvolvimento da população atual e, por conseguinte, o das próximas gerações.

The spined soldier bug Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) is a generalist predator that can alternatively feed on plant tissue to survive under prey scarcity. This research aimed to evaluate the effects of plant feeding forced by a shortage of prey on the survival and reproduction of P. nigrispinus on Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake (Myrtaceae) plants in the field. Podisus nigrispinus adults were enclosed on branches of eucalyptus by using gauze bags. These adults were fed daily with Tenebrio molitor pupae (T1) or after 5 (T2), 10 (T3) or 15 (T4) days from mating to simulate prey shortage. The pre-oviposition period, number of egg masses, number and viability of eggs and longevity of females were evaluated. Females of P. nigrispinus had a longer pre-oviposition period and produced lower number of egg masses as the period of prey shortage increased. However, the average number of eggs per egg mass, emergence of nymphs and longevity of P. nigrispinus females were not affected by prey shortage. Females of P. nigrispinus can survive 15 days without prey by feeding on eucalyptus leaves and if it finds prey afterwards can still reproduce. This shows that plant feeding is a successful incidental strategy to survive periods of food scarcity (and thus increase the efficiency) of this predator as a biological control agent.

This work was carried out to study the effects of adult feeding and mating on the biological potential and parasitism of Trichogramma pretiosum and T. acacioi (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)