No abstract

Brochosomes production is considered a feature of Cicadellidae, and may represent an outstanding innovation which has played an important role in the development and diversification of this insect group. The objective of this study was to identify the species of Proconiini that produced egg brochosomes associated with grapevines in the Serra Gaúcha region of Brazil. Egg brochosome characteristics and an identification key are also discussed. The specimens were collected using yellow sticky cards in four vineyards (Vitis vinifera L.

The mealybug Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) has recently been detected in vineyards in southern Brazil. The ant Linepithema micans (Forel) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is the most abundant and frequent species in these vineyards, acting mainly as a disperser of the native soil scale, the ground pearl Eurhizococcus brasiliensis (Wille) (Hemiptera: Margarodidae). This study evaluated the interactions (dispersal and predation) of L. micans with P. ficus. The first experiment evaluated the interaction between L. micans and P. ficus in a greenhouse, using Paulsen 1103 rootstock (Vitis berlandieri × Vitis rupestris) planted in pots. Plants were infested by 1) adult females of P. ficus, and 2) adult females of P. ficus and L. micans, and all mealybugs remaining after the experimental period were counted. To evaluate P. ficus predation by L. micans, two laboratory experiments were conducted (25°C, 80% relative humidity). In the first experiment, sprouted potatoes were infested with ovisacs, first-instar nymphs and adult females of P. ficus and evaluated in three treatments: 1) L. micans fed with carbohydrate and protein, 2) L. micans without food, and 3) without ants present. In the second, potatoes were infested only with first-instar nymphs of P. ficus and were exposed in two treatments: 1) L. micans without food, and 2) without ants present. The results were evaluated by counting the remaining mealybugs, with and without ants. The results showed that L. micans does not transport P. ficus, and predates on first-instar nymphs of the mealybug.

Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker, 1858) is a noctuid moth of great economic importance distributed in the Neotropics, specifically in South America. Spodoptera descoinsi Lalanne-Cassou & Silvain, 1994, a closely related sympatric species was described from French Guiana. Historically, the differentiation of S. descoinsi was supported by pheromone composition comparatively to S. latifascia (Walker, 1856), a species considered a potential synonym of the former. Since differences between such species remain to be demonstrated, and phylogenetic studies based on DNA suggest that S. descoinsi and S. cosmioides merge into a single clade, we performed a comparative analysis with types and morphological descriptions to elucidate their taxonomic status. From both morphological and genetic perspectives, results support maintaining S. latifascia as a valid species. Analysis of COI sequences revealed shared haplotypes between S. cosmioides and S. descoinsi. Furthermore, S. cosmioides and S. descoinsi's slight differences at genitalia levels were not stable on a broader geographical scale. Therefore, we propose S. descoinsi as a new junior synonym of S. cosmioides.