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: Data on the climatic conditions of a region provide improvements in decision-making for activities related to the sectors, for agricultural and urban planning, to reduce risks. Current paper undertakes the climatic characterization of the municipality of Rio Verde GO Brazil, as a tool for agricultural and urban planning. Data were retrieved from the main conventional weather station in Rio Verde provided by the National Institute of Meteorology between 1972 and 2017. The municipality´s characteristics comprised air temperature at 23.6±6.0ºC, relative humidity at 66.3±13.6%, wind speed at 1.4±0.8 m s-1, solar radiation at 17.3±4.7 MJ m-2 day-1 and solar brightness at 6.1±3.0 h. Total precipitation volume is 1,611± 180 mm/year-1, with concentrations during November to March (76%). August is the most critical month. The reference evapotranspiration is 3.8±0.9 mm day-1. The municipality is characterized by six months with water deficiency and six rainy months. Precipitation is a limiting factor to agricultural production due to poor spatial and temporal distribution. The use of irrigation systems, the conservation of straw on the ground and the use of off-season cover plants are alternatives that mitigate the effects of climatic risks. Concern in the urban region lies with floods, fires and respiratory diseases, transmissible by mosquitoes, at different times of the year. Current study may define better strategies for public and/or private initiative in planning more effective agricultural and environmental activities and projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current paper develops and evaluates a prototype that is able to sample the stink bug Euschistus heros (Fabricius, 1758) when submitted to sudden changes in temperature by a hot air jet. The instrument´s efficiency was assessed with regard to the release and fall of the insects from rest surfaces when there is an increase in temperature due to a hot air stream. A devise was prepared to heat air from 24°C to 50°C, with insects submitted to a 26°C thermal variation for 2 seconds. The device was tested for its efficiency by using first to fifth instar adult stink bugs, bred in captivity, and adults captured in soybean plantations. They were placed in front of the blower with an air flow of 4 m.s-1 and at 55% relative humidity. When the bugs received the hot air flow, they fell from the pods at a mean rate of 86.78%, with standard deviation of 6.96%. Results show that the device is capable of felling bugs at all phases of development with an efficiency rate of 86.78%, and population of insects may be estimated when collected after falling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]