The ladybug Eriopis connexa (Germar) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is an important natural enemy of various pests. The potential of rearing it on 17 different diets was evaluated. The percentage of E. connexa adults was higher when its larvae received only eggs of Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) after freezing for 1 day (92.5%) or combined in artificial diets with honey and water (82.5% to 100.0%). The viability from larvae to adult was 72.5% with eggs of A. kuehniella (after 1 day's freezing) plus an artificial diet based on pet food. No adults of E. connexa were obtained with artificial diets as a standalone food source. The duration of the larval period to adult of this predator was longer, but with low viability, with only A. kuehniella eggs (after 6 months' freezing) or with eggs + artificial diets. Eggs of A. kuehniella (after 1 day's freezing) supplied separately or along with artificial diets were more appropriate to rear E. connexa and both diets can be used for mass rearing of this natural enemy.
Verificou-se o potencial de parasitismo de Campoletis flavicincta (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) sobre lagartas de Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) de diferentes idades e o consumo foliar de lagartas parasitadas, em relação a não parasitadas. Quando foram oferecidas ao parasitóide lagartas de 3-d o número médio de lagartas parasitadas foi de 232/fêmea, número semelhante ao que foi obtido com lagartas de 2-d (182,0 lagartas/fêmea). Com lagartas de 4-5-d, o número médio de parasitismo foi, respectivamente, 80,7 e 71,0 indivíduos parasitados/fêmea. Lagartas sadias, durante todo o seu período de vida, consumiram, em média, 209,3 cm² de área foliar, enquanto que as lagartas parasitadas consumiram apenas 14,5 cm² (6,9% do consumo de uma lagarta sadia).
Different concentrations of nuclear polyhedrosis virus were applied as aqueous suspensions using a tractor mounted or a backpack-manual sprayer to control Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) larvae on maize (Zea mays L.). Larval mortality varied with the application equipment. For the tractor-mounted sprayer application of at least 2.5 x 10(12) P.I.B./ha was necessary to attain a control comparable to that obtained with the backpack-manual sprayer application (70.2%). For this application method it can be used the dose of 2.5 x 10(11) PI.B./ ha, butNPV persistence was very short. A greaterNPV persistence was obtained with doses over 1.25 x 10(12) P.I.B./ha (93.4% mortality). The occurrence of parasitoids in the experimental area increased larval mortality rate (16.4%), independent of the application method. Among the parasitoids, the most prevalent was Campoletis flavicincta (Ashmead) (53.0%), followed by Chelonus insularis (Cresson) (31.3%), and Eiphosoma spp. (15.6%).
Coleomegilla maculata De Geer (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is an important predator and has the potential to be used as a biological control agent of insect pests of maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. This study aimed to evaluate the development of C. maculata larvae fed eggs Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) alone or associated with artificial diet, eggs of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and nymphs of Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). The experiment was conducted in a complete randomized design with four replications, each with 10 larvae of C. maculata in an acclimatized room (25 ± 1 ºC, 70 ± 10% RH and 12 hours photophase). The duration of the stages of C. maculata was similar in all treatments, except for one that used nymphs of S. graminum, resulting in a shorter period for the larval stage. The viability of larval, prepupal and pupal stages and larval to adult C. maculata was high and similar in all treatments. No effect of diets on the weight of C. maculata adults occurred, except for the heavier insects fed on eggs of A. kuehniella, whose males and females weighed 9.8 ± 0.3 mg and 13.3 ± 0.5 mg, respectively.
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