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The sustainability of coffee production is a concern for producers around the world. To be sustainable, it is necessary to achieve satisfactory levels of coffee productivity and quality. Pests and diseases cause reduced productivity and can affect the quality of coffee beans. To ensure sustainability, producers need to monitor pests that can lead to substantial crop losses, such as the coffee leaf miner, Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae), which belongs to the Lepidoptera order and the Lyonetiidae family. This research aimed to use machine learning techniques and vegetation indices to remotely identify infestations of the coffee leaf miner in coffee-growing regions. Field assessments of coffee leaf miner infestation were conducted in September 2023. Aerial images were taken using remotely piloted aircraft to determine 13 vegetative indices with RGB (red, green, blue) images. The vegetation indices were calculated using ArcGis 10.8 software. A comprehensive database encompassing details of coffee leaf miner infestation, vegetation indices, and crop data. The dataset was divided into training and testing subsets. A set of four machine learning algorithms was utilized: Random Forest (RF), Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD). Following hyperparameter tuning, the test subset was employed for model validation. Remarkably, both the SVM and SGD models demonstrated superior performance in estimating coffee leaf miner infestations, with kappa indices of 0.6 and 0.67, respectively. The combined use of vegetation indices and crop data increased the accuracy of coffee leaf miner detection. The RF model performed poorly, while the SVM and SGD models performed better. This situation highlights the challenges of tracking coffee leaf miner infestations in fields with varying ages of coffee plants, different cultivars, and other environmental variables.

Extreme weather has made 2023 virtually certain to be the warmest year on record, signaling unprecedented climate and biodiversity crises. Brazil, the world’s most biodiverse country, with two hotspots and complex social and economic layers, has experienced escalating environmental degradation over the past years. Alarming rates of native vegetation loss, wildfires, severe and prolonged droughts, and heatwaves have adversely impacted several Brazilian ecosystems and societies. Despite the country’s decisive role in global carbon neutrality, bridging the gap between Brazil’s discourse on the international stage and its concrete actions at home remains a significant challenge. This correspondence, a collective plea from scientists across various sectors, underscores the urgent imperative for national engagement and commitment to halt and mitigate these crises. We aim to catalyze a robust international public debate, influencing Brazilian decision-makers to chart a concrete sustainable pathway. Aligned with global initiatives, we emphasize the crucial interplay between national and international efforts in combating climate change and the conservation of biodiversity and socio-biodiversity.

The coffee leaf miner (Leucoptera coffeella) is a key pest in coffee-producing regions in Brazil. The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of machine learning algorithms to identify coffee leaf miner infestation by considering the assessment period and Sentinel-2 satellite images generated on the Google Earth Engine platform. Coffee leaf miner infestation in the field was measured monthly from 2019 to 2023. Images were selected from the Sentinel-2 satellite to determine 13 vegetative indices. The selection of images and calculations of the vegetation indices were carried out using the Google Earth Engine platform. A database was generated with information on coffee leaf miner infestation, vegetation indices, and assessment times. The database was separated into training data and testing data. Nine machine learning algorithms were used, including Linear Discriminant Analysis, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, k-nearest neighbors, and Logistic Regression, and a principal component analysis was conducted for each algorithm. After optimizing the hyperparameters, the testing data were used to validate the model. The best model to estimate miner infestation was RF, which had an accuracy of 0.86, a kappa index of 0.64, and a precision of 0.87. The developed models were capable of monitoring coffee leaf miner infestation.

Metarhizium (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) has a multifunctional life cycle, establishing as a plant endophyte and acting as entomopathogenic fungi. Metarhizium robertsii and Metarhizium brunneum can be associated with coffee plants and provide enhanced protection against a major pest of coffee, the coffee leaf miner (CLM) (Leucoptera coffeella). This association would be an easily deployable biological control option. Here we tested the potential of inoculating coffee seeds with M. robertsii and M. brunneum collected from the soil of coffee crops in the Cerrado (Brazil) for control of the CLM and the enhancement of plant growth with a commonly used fungicide. We conducted the experiment in a greenhouse and after the seedlings grew, we placed them in a cage with two couples of CLMs. We evaluated the CLM development time, reproduction, and plant growth traits. We observed a longer development time of CLMs when fed on plants inoculated with both isolates. In addition, the CLMs laid fewer eggs compared to those fed on plants without fungal inoculation. Plant growth was promoted when seeds were inoculated with fungi, and the fungicide did not affect any evaluated parameter. Coffee seed inoculation with M. robertsii and M. brunneum appears to provide protection against CLMs and promote growth improvement.

With the growing demand for sustainable and safe agricultural practices, plant compounds emerge as a solution for biological activities. Here, we evaluated the potential of using Morinda citrifolia essential oil to induce plant resistance and to control phytopathogens (Curvularia lunata) and insect pests (Daubulus maidis). We conducted a chromatographic analysis to unveil the essential oil components. We also quantified the activity levels of antioxidant enzymes and chitinase for resistance induction. The antifungal action was evaluated through disease progression and the inhibition of mycelial growth in addition to in silico studies that made it possible to predict the interaction site between the fungal protein and the compounds. We assessed the toxicity and repellent actions towards the D. maidis. Octanoic acid (58.43%) was identified as the essential oil major compound. Preventive treatment with essential oil and octanoic acid (25.0 µL mL−1) increased not only the plant defense activities (i.e., the activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, phenol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, and chitinase) but also controlled Curvularia leaf spot. The stable interactions between octanoic acid and tyrosine-tRNA ligase from C. lunata suggested protein synthesis inactivation. The essential oil inhibited 51.6% of mycelial growth, and this effect was increased to 75.9% with the addition of adjuvants (i.e., angico gum). The essential oil reduced 76% of the population of D. maidis adults and repelled 50% of the number of D. maidis after 48 h under field conditions. The repellency effect in the field reduced the population of D. maidis adults, transmitters of the stunting complex, by 50%. The results highlight the potential of M. citrifolia as a resistance activator, fungicide, insecticide, and an effective biorational alternative.

Abstract In natural ecosystems, arthropod predation on herbivore prey is higher at lower latitudes, mirroring the latitudinal diversity gradient observed across many taxa. This pattern has not been systematically examined in human‐dominated ecosystems, where frequent disturbances can shift the identity and abundance of local predators, altering predation rates from those observed in natural ecosystems. We investigated how latitude, biogeographical, and local ecological factors influenced arthropod predation in Brassica oleracea‐dominated agroecosystems in 55 plots spread among 5 sites in the United States and 4 sites in Brazil, spanning at least 15° latitude in each country. In both the United States and Brazil, arthropod predator attacks on sentinel model caterpillar prey were highest at the highest latitude studied and declined at lower latitudes. The rate of increased arthropod attacks per degree latitude was higher in the United States and the overall gradient was shifted poleward as compared to Brazil. PiecewiseSEM analysis revealed that aridity mediates the effect of latitude on arthropod predation and largely explains the differences in the intensity of the latitudinal gradient between study countries. Neither predator richness, predator density, nor predator resource availability predicted variation in predator attack rates. Only greater non‐crop plant density drove greater predation rates, though this effect was weaker than the effect of aridity. We conclude that climatic factors rather than ecological community structure shape latitudinal arthropod predation patterns and that high levels of aridity in agroecosystems may dampen the ability of arthropod predators to provide herbivore control services as compared to natural ecosystems.

The coffee leaf miner (Leucoptera coffeella) is a key coffee pest in Brazil that can cause severe defoliation and a negative impact on the productivity. Thus, it is essential to identify initial pest infestation for the sake of appropriate time control to avoid further economic damage to the coffee crops. A fast non-destructive method is an important tool that can be used to monitor the occurrence of the coffee leaf miner. The present work aims to identify the occurrence of coffee leaf miner infestation through a new vegetation index, using multispectral images from the Sentinel-2 satellite and the Google Earth Engine platform. Coffee leaf miner infestation was measured in the field in four cities in the state of Minas Gerais. The largest infestations occurred in September, October, and November but particularly in October 2021, in which the rate of infestation reached 85%, followed by September 2020 with a maximum infestation of 76%. The calculation steps of the vegetation indices and mappings were carried out in the Google Earth Engine cloud processing platform through the development of a script in JavaScript programming language. Combinations of two sensitive bands were selected to detect coffee leaf miner infestation, and from these, the “Coffee-Leaf-Miner Index” was developed, which was compared with other existing vegetation indices in terms of their performance for coffee leaf miner detection. The combination of the NIR–BLUE and NIR–RED bands was more sensitive for the detection of coffee leaf miner infestation; therefore, the NIR, BLUE, and RED bands were selected to develop the new index. The “Coffee-Leaf-Miner Index” presented the best performance among those evaluated, with a coefficient of determination of about 0.87, a root mean square error of 4.92% coffee leaf miner infestation, accuracy of 89.47%, and kappa coefficient of 95.39. The R2 range of other spectral indices which exist in the literature and which were used in this study was from 0.017 to 0.867, and the root mean square error ranged from 4.996 to 13.582% coffee leaf miner infestation. The machine learning method was then adopted using the supervised Random Forest and Support Vector Machine algorithms to recognize patterns of coffee leaf miner infestation in the field, only the Coffee-Leaf-Miner Index was used for the identification test of the coffee leaf miner infestation. The Support Vector Machine with linear Kernel type was applied to establish a discrimination model. The number of trees for the Random Forest classifier was 100. The Support Vector Machine presented a lower performance than the Random Forest algorithm, but the performance of both were above 80% for user and producer precision. Three bands (Blue, Red, NIR) were selected for the creation of the new index, which showed capacity for remote detection of coffee leaf miner infestation on a regional scale. Thus, “Coffee-Leaf-Miner Index” can identify coffee leaf miner infestation thanks to all the complexity involved in detecting pests via orbital remote sensing.

Coffee is considered one of the most important commercial commodities globally, and in 2020, it moved to a global market of USD 102.02 billion. However, the attack of pests in coffee production can cause significant economic losses. Leucoptera coffeella is a critical pest in coffee-producing countries, with productivity losses reaching 87%. The knowledge of the spatial distribution patterns of L. coffeella is essential to developing an efficient sampling and control plan. Moreover, it allows us to target for control specific locations/seasons where L. coffeella occurrence is at its highest density before reaching the economic injury level. Therefore, our objective in this study was to determine the spatial distribution of L. coffeella in coffee crops through geostatistical analysis. Data on the population density of L. coffeella were collected over four years on a farm with 18 center pivots located in the Brazilian Cerrado. The presence of L. coffeella was recorded in all 18 pivots during the entire time of the study (2016 to 2020). The highest densities were from July to November. These high densities of L. coffeella positively correlated with maximum air temperatures and wind speed. It was also verified to negatively correlate with minimum air temperatures and rainfall. The surrounding vegetation does not affect the pest densities. The pest hotspots appeared in different pivots and different locations inside pivots. Furthermore, L. coffeella showed an aggregated distribution pattern. For three years, the colonization started at the edge of the crop. The sampling should be performed equidistant as the pest is distributed equally in all directions. The information found in this study provides valuable information to initiate timely management and control methods in coffee crops with a high incidence of L. coffeella, thus reducing production costs and the harmful effects of pesticide use.

The enhancement of pest control through the conservation of natural enemies in agricultural fields is called conservation biological control. One of the strategies used on this system is to introduce or manage plants that can provide food for natural enemies. We assessed the effect of feeding resources on the fitness of a coffee leaf miner parasitoid, Proacrias coffeae Ihering (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), by evaluating the effect of different nectar resources on the survival of P. coffeae. To do so we used three flowering plants: Bidens pilosa, Galinsoga parviflora, and Varronia curassavica, and the leguminous shrub, Senna cernua Balb. H.S. Irwin & Barneby which produces extrafloral nectar. When feeding on the floral nectar of V. curassavica and on the extrafloral nectar of S. cernua the parasitoids increased their survival, however, no significant differences were found when feeding on B. pilosa and G. parviflora. We evaluated the effect of extrafloral nectar of S. cernua on the egg load of P. coffeae and found an increase in their egg load when exposed to the extrafloral nectar and with increasing age. Our results show the potential of V. curassavica and S. cernua as nutritional resources to enhance the fitness of the parasitoid P. coffeae, by increasing their survival. Based on the research study, it is evident that the introduction of feeding resources for P. coffeae in the coffee agroecosystem will increase their fitness as a potential biocontrol agent by enhancing their survival and reproductive potential.

Brazil is the country which has produced the most coffee for over 150 years, and to achieve high productivity, pesticides are the most common control measure for pests. Due to the need to adopt less impactful control practices, natural enemies or insecticides of botanical origin have been studied as alternatives to synthetic insecticides. However, botanical pesticides can negatively affect some natural enemies, and the effect depends on the formulation and concentration. The objective of this study was to estimate the survival of green lacewing larvae, Chrysoperla externa (Hagen), exposed to different doses of neem-based products, whose active ingredient is azadirachtin (Azamax®: 0 (control treatment with distilled water), 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, and 108 mg a.i. L−1; Organic neem®: 0, 3.3, 6.6, 9.9, 13.2, 16.5, 19.8, 23.1, and 26.4 mg a.i. L−1; Natuneem®: 0, 3.8, 7.5, 10.5, 15.0, 18.8, 22.5, 26.3, 30.0, and 33.8 mg a.i. L−1), using a parametric approach. Predator larvae were exposed to neem-based insecticides and evaluated for 20 days. Survival curves estimated by the models—Log-logistic for Azamax®, Weibull for Organic neem®, and Log-normal for Natuneem®—demonstrated an inverse relationship between increasing doses and survival time. These concluded that the application dose should be less than 84 mg a.i. L−1 for Azamax®, 19.8 mg a.i. L−1 for Organic neem®, and 26.3 mg a.i. L−1 for Natuneem® to keep 50% of the green lacewings alive for 13 days, which is the average time for the larval cycle of C. externa.

Conservation biological control of pests may be achieved using a variety of integrated strategies based on crop diversification. We investigated whether the insertion of the intercropped plants species (IPS) Inga edulis, Senna macranthera, and Varronia curassavica modified the abundance of mites, their feeding behavior, and the dissimilarity of predator and herbivore mites over a gradient of distance from the IPS on coffee. To accomplish this, we recorded the mite species on coffee plants along transects of 16 m extending from the IPS, including on the IPS. A total of 8946 specimens were sampled. Tenuipalpidae was the most abundant family on coffee, followed by Tydeidae, while Eriophyidae was the most abundant on the IPS, followed by Phytoseiidae. The abundance and richness of mites differed between their feeding behavior and distance. The dissimilarity of predators and herbivores increased along a gradient of distance. Furthermore, the IPS harbored several mite species and the diversity of predator and herbivore mites among the IPS was different. The findings suggest that the intercropped plant species can attract and serve as a reservoir of predatory mites on coffee crops, which could improve the biocontrol of pest mites on coffee.

Metarhizium species can be mutualistic symbionts of plants. They are able to colonize roots, promote plant growth and provide protection against pests. We previously found Metarhizium robertsii and M. brunneum associated with coffee roots in a diversified coffee system. Here, we investigated whether these fungi, when inoculated in coffee seedlings, can associate with roots, improve seedling growth and indirectly protect against the coffee leaf miner (CLM) Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae). We performed a greenhouse experiment with coffee seedlings using suspensions of each Metarhizium species applied as soil drenches to potted seedlings. We also challenged these plants with CLM infestation (two adult couples per plant). We recovered Metarhizium spp. from most of the seedling roots 43 days after fungal inoculation. Plants inoculated with M. robertsii showed a 30% leaf area increase compared to the control. Both isolates promoted protection against CLM in coffee seedlings, reducing the percentual of leaf area mined and prolonging CLM development time by two days versus controls. Besides this protection provided by Metarhizium, M. robertsii also improves seedling growth. Therefore, these Metarhizium species could be considered for the development of inoculants for coffee seedlings.

The cultivation of peppers in northern Brazil has grown recently influenced by the increase in consumption, culinary usefulness, and medicinal features. However, pest insects damage plants and fruits, impairing production. This work investigates the management of pepper pests by intercropping plants that provide multiple ecosystem services, especially conservative biological control of pests. The experiment was carried out at the Federal Institute of Pará, Campus Rural de Marabá, Pará. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks, with four treatments and five replications. Each plot contained thirty plants. The sampling of arthropods was carried out weekly in the useful portion of each treatment, through direct counting (visual analysis) and tapping plants on a white tray. The average abundance of arthropods in each functional group was calculated over the sampling weeks. We counted the number of fruits and bored fruits per plant to evaluate the effect of treatments on pepper yield. The abundance of pollinators differed significantly among treatments. Intercropping may favor the establishment of natural enemies and reduce the impacts of chemical insecticides.

Coffee plants host several herbivorous species, but only few are considered pests. Brazil is the largest coffee producer of the world, and the two key coffee pests of the crop in the country are the coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella and the coffee berry borer Hypothenemus hampei. However, in some regions or on specific conditions, species of mites and scales can also cause damage to coffee plants. Conventional management of coffee pests relies on chemical pesticides, and it is the most commonly used strategy in Brazil, but environmental problems, pest resistance, and toxicity-related issues have led coffee growers to search for alternatives for pest control. Agro-ecological strategies suitable to coffee cultivation can be adopted by farmers, based on plant diversification, in order to provide resources for natural enemies, such as nectar, pollen, shelter, microclimate conditions, and oviposition sites, thereby promoting conservation biological control. Here I revise these strategies and report the results from research in Brazil. I include results on agroforestry, use of cover crops, and non-crop plant management. These are complemented by curative measures based on the use of organic farming-approved pesticides that can be employed when the agro-ecological practices are not yet consolidated. I also present the cultural control method used by several coffee producers in Brazil to decrease coffee berry borer damage.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of oil extract of neem, Azadirachta indica, on the watermelon aphid Aphis gossypii and its natural enemy Cycloneda sanguinea. Toxicity bioassays were conducted with the commercial product DalNeem (1,475 g L-1 azadirachtin) at 0.0037 µg a.i. mL-1, 0.0074 µg a.i. mL-1 and 0.0148 µg a.i. mL-1, Malathion at 1 µg a.i. mL-1 and distilled water as a control treatment. The products were sprayed to watermelon leaf discs, and the insects were exposed to the product residues. The instantaneous population growth rate of A. gossypii and the survival of C. sanguinea larvae exposed to the different treatments were calculated. A decrease in the instantaneous population growth rate of A. gossypii with increasing concentrations of neem was observed, and the aphids did not reproduce on the leaf discs treated with malathion during the first 24 hours of exposure due to its rapid lethal effect on adult insects. The larvae of the predator C. sanguinea exposed to malathion survived only for 24 hours. The survival of the predator exposed to different concentrations of neem was also significantly reduced compared to the predators exposed only to water. However, laboratory experiments may overestimate the effect of neem on predators because the individuals cannot employ escape behavior caused by neem repellency.

Jatropha curcas has a high biofuel oil content, which could replace polluting fuels, and has great potential for large scale monoculture cultivation in the conventional system. We explored the occurrence, spatial distribution and the functional response of the main phytophagous species of this plant and their natural enemies to explore the potential for conservative biological control. We began sampling phytophagous species and predators when J. curcas plants were six months old. The most common species of phytophagous insects were nymphs and adults of Empoasca kraemeri, followed by Frankliniella schultzei and Myzus persicae. Among the predators, Ricoseius loxocheles, Iphiseioides zuluagai, Araneidae, larvae and adults of Psyllobora vigintimaculata and Anthicus sp. were the most frequently encountered. The most common parasitoids were the families Encyrtidae and Braconidae. The highest densities of E. kraemeri and F. schultzei on the edges of the J. curcas crop follow spatial patterns similar to those of their natural enemies I. zuluagai and Anthicus sp. These arthropods can be considered efficient predators of immature stages of E. kraemeri and F. schultzei on J. curcas.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the toxicity of organic farming‑compatible products to the coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella. Lime sulphur, enriched Bordeaux mixture (Viça Café Plus), and the "supermagro" biofertilizer were first tested in laboratory. The most promising product was tested afterwards under field conditions. In laboratory, different concentrations of each product were applied on L. coffeella eggs and on infested coffee‑mined leaves. Only lime sulphur had ovicidal effects at an acceptable concentration (1.6%) for field applications, but no significant effect on larvae mortality was found. Enriched Bordeaux mixture and the "supermagro" biofertilizer had no effect on L. coffeella eggs and larvae. In the field trial, biweekly or monthly sprayings of lime sulphur at different concentrations caused population decrease after 30 days; however, this effect was not significant after 60 or 90 days.

Watermelon Citrullus lunatus (Thunberg, Matsumura & Nakai) is an ecosystem having a variety of arthropods, each one playing a specific role. Although some of them are considered pest to crops, some others are responsible for soil aeration, nutrient release and predation of pest species and are, therefore, considered beneficial to crops. The intensive farming practiced for watermelon cultivation in Brazil is based on the use of tiamethoxam and deltamethrin, which may not only kill target but also nontarget organisms such as beneficial arthropods. Research data regarding the influence of insecticides on arthropods in watermelon cropping is scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the insecticides deltamethrin and thiamethoxam on soil surface and watermelon canopy arthropod community. The study was carried out in the State of Tocantins, Brazil. Although the application of thiamethoxam and deltamethrin was efficient in controlling populations of Aphis gossypii (Glover), as we expected, they negatively affected non-target arthropods such as detritivores insects in the canopy and soil surface. Ecological implications of the impact of such pesticides on beneficial arthropod species are discussed.A cultura da melancia Citrullus lunatus (Thunberg, Matsumura & Nakai) abriga uma grande diversidade de artrópodes, cada um desempenhando um papel específico. Apesar de alguns desses artrópodes serem considerados pragas, outros são responsáveis pela aeração do solo, liberação de nutrientes e predação das espécies-praga, sendo, dessa forma, considerados benéficos às culturas. A agricultura intensiva praticada no Brasil para o cultivo da melancia é baseada no uso dos inseticidas como tiamethoxam e deltametrina, que pode não só matar as pragas, mas também organismos não-alvo. Pesquisas relacionadas à influência de inseticidas sobre artrópodes benéficos na cultura da melancia são escassas. Este estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito dos inseticidas deltametrina e thiamethoxam na comunidade de artrópodes existentes na superfície do solo, bem como naqueles artropópodes que habitam o dossel das plantas na cultura da melancia. Este estudo foi realizado no Estado do Tocantins, Brasil. Embora as aplicações de thiamethoxam e deltametrina foram eficientes no controle de populações de Aphis gossypii, como era esperado, os inseticidas afetaram negativamente artrópodes não-alvo como insetos detritívoros, insetos de dossel e da superfície do solo. Implicações ecológicas do impacto dos pesticidas sobre as espécies de artrópodes benéficos são discutidos.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da teia produzida por Tetranychus evansi (Acari: Tetranychidae) na eficiência de predação por coccinelídeos Cycloneda sanguinea e Eriopis connexa e pelo crisopídeo Chrysoperla externa. A eficiência em predar as fêmeas de T. evansi na presença e na ausência de sua teia em discos de folhas de tomateiro com ácaros foi avaliada para cada instar das diferentes espécies de predadores. Foi observado efeito negativo da teia produzida por T. evansi na eficiência de predação do segundo e do terceiro instar de C. externa. Quanto à E. connexa, somente a predação pelo último instar foi influenciada negativamente pela presença da teia. A predação pelas larvas de primeiro e terceiro instar de C. sanguinea foi significativamente menor na presença da teia; no entanto, o resultado foi contrário para o quarto instar. O efeito da teia de T. evansi como mecanismo de defesa varia conforme a espécie e o estágio de desenvolvimento do predador.The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the webbing produced by Tetranychus evansi (Acari: Tetranychidae) on the predation efficiency of Cycloneda sanguinea and Eriopis connexa coccinellids and of the Chrysoperla externa chrysopid. The predation efficiency on T. evansi females with and without webbing on tomato leaf discs was evaluated for each juvenile stage of the different predator species tested. There was a negative effect of T. evansi webbing on the predation efficiency of the second and third C. externa juvenile stages. Regarding E. connexa, only the predation by the oldest juvenile stage was negatively affected by the webbing. The predation efficiency of the first and the third juvenile stages of C. sanguinea was lower in the presence of webbing, but the opposite was observed for the fourth stage. The defensive role of T. evansi webbing varies according to the predator species and their developmental stage.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar, em laboratório, os efeitos do extrato de semente de nim sobre uma praga da pimenteira, o pulgão-verde Myzus persicae (Sulzer), e seu predador Eriopis connexa (Germar). Folhas de pimenteira foram imersas em solução aquosa de extrato de semente de nim (1% de azadiractina) a 0,5%, 1%, em acefato (0,75 g L-1) e em água. Fêmeas do pulgão foram transferidas para essas folhas e, após seis dias, avaliou-se a população final. Larvas de quarto ínstar do predador foram colocadas em plantas de pimenteira infestadas com pulgões e pulverizadas com solução aquosa de nim a 0,25 e, 0,5%, em acefato (0,75 g L-1) e em água. Após 48 horas, as larvas foram transferidas para tubos de plástico e alimentadas com pulgões. A mortalidade larval, a viabilidade pupal e a emergência de adultos foram avaliadas. A população de pulgões foi significativamente menor em folhas tratadas com nim e com acefato do que nas tratadas com água. A mortalidade de larvas do predador foi maior em plantas tratadas com acefato do que com nim. No entanto, somente 9,1 e 10% das larvas em plantas tratadas com nim a 0,25% e a 0,5%, respectivamente, formaram pupas e não houve emergência de adultos. Apesar do potencial do nim em reduzir a população de M. persicae, o produto apresenta efeitos nocivos a E. connexa.The aim of this work was to assess, in laboratory, the effects of neem seed extract on chilli pepper pest, the green peach aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and on its predator Eriopis connexa (Germar). Chilli pepper leaves were treated with an aqueous solution of neem seed extract (1% of azadiractin) at concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0%, using acephate (0.75 g L-1) and water. Aphid females were transferred to treated leaves and after six days the aphid population was checked. Fourth-instar larvae of E. connexa were placed on pepper seedlings infested with aphids and sprayed with an aqueous solution of neem at 0.25 and 0.5%, using acephate (0.75 g L-1) and water. After 48 hours, larvae were transferred to plastic tubes and fed aphids. Larval mortality, pupal viability and adult emergence were evaluated. Aphid population was significantly lower on leaves treated with neem and acephate than on water treated plants. Mortality of E. connexa larvae was higher on plants treated with acephate than on neem treated plants. However, only 9.1 and 10% of larvae on plants treated with neem at 0.25 and 0.5%, respectively, reached the pupal phase and there was no adult emergence. In spite of the potential of neem to reduce M. persicae population, the product shows deleterious effects on E. connexa.

This work evaluated the functional response of adult females of Eriopis connexa to different densities of Macrosiphum euphorbiae and Tetranychus evansi. When preying upon aphids, E. connexa presented a sigmoidal functional response (Type III). This behavior, however, changed drastically to an exponential (Type II) functional response, when mites (T. evansi), rather than aphids, were offered to E. connexa. Such different patterns showed that this coccinellid needed to adopt distinct strategies according to the kind of prey available. Since predators were believed to be able to regulate prey populations only when adopting Type III functional response. E. connexa would be a good candidate for a biological control agent of M. euphorbiae, but would not suppress a growing population of T. evansi.Estudos de resposta functional fornecem informações importantes, que podem ajudar na escolha de agentes de controle biológico. Este trabalho avaliou a resposta funcional de fêmeas adultas de Eriopis connexa para diferentes densidades de Macrosiphum euphorbiae e Tetranychus evansi. Eriopis connexa apresentou uma resposta funcional sigmoidal (Tipo III) quando teve afídeos como presa. Este comportamento mudou drasticamente para uma resposta funcional exponencial (Tipo II), quando ácaros (T. evansi) foram oferecidos para E. connexa ao invés de afídeos. Essa mudança de comportemento, evidencia que esse coccinelideo precisa adotar estratégias diferentes de acordo com o tipo de presa disponível. Acreditar-se que predadores podem regular populações de presa somenete ao adotar uma resposta funcional Tipo III. Nós concluímos que E. connexa seria um bom candidato para agente de controle biológico de M. euphorbiae, mas não suprimiria uma população crescente de T. evansi.

A produção integrada é um sistema agrícola que objetiva produzir alimentos de boa qualidade de acordo com os requerimentos de sustentabilidade ambiental, segurança alimentar e viabilidade econômica. Apesar de ainda não existirem projetos de produção integrada de morango, técnicas de controle biológico e de resposta induzida a herbivoria poderiam ser utilizadas no controle de ácaros fitófagos do morangueiro. Nesta revisão, serão discutidas estas técnicas de manejo de ácaros dentro do contexto da produção integrada de morango.Integrated production is an agricultural system that aims to produce good quality food, in conformity with the requirements of ambient sustainability, alimentary security and economic viability. Although there is not yet a developed integrated system for strawberry production, techniques based on biological control and induced responses to herbivory could be used to control phytophagous mites on strawberry. In this review we discuss these techniques within an integrated production context on strawberry.

A survey of the seasonal occurrence of stink bug egg parasitoids was carried out in soybean fields in the Triângulo Mineiro region, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Collections of egg masses of stink bugs and monitoring of population levels of mobile stages were done weekly during the 1993/94 and 1994/95 soybean seasons. Piezodorus guildinii and Euschistus heros were the most abundant stink bugs throughout the survey. Rates of parasitism in P. guildinii eggs ranged from 50.2 to 77% in 1993/94 and from 31.3 to 44.1% in the 1994/95 soybean season. Parasitism in E. heros eggs ranged from 50.6 to 64.7 % in 1993/94 but no parasitized eggs were found in 1994/95. Telenomus podisi was the main parasitoid collected and the only species found to parasitize E. heros eggs. Trissolcus brochymenae and Ooencyrtus sp. were found attacking P. guildinii eggs, but at low levels. We discuss the contribution of egg parasitoids to natural control of stink bugs.