Does the surrounding vegetation influence the fruit fly assemblage in guava orchards? / A vegetação do entorno influencia a assembléia de moscas-das- frutas em pomares de goiabeira?

This study aimed to evaluate how the surrounding vegetation affects the assemblage of fruit flies. For this, flies were collected in guava orchards with distinct types of surrounding vegetation (exotic pasture, native forest and fruit tree intercropping). The experiment was conducted in Itaporã and Dourados, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Weekly samples were collected from March to April 2015. McPhail traps were baited with 5% hydrolyzed corn protein. Species richness, diversity index and abundance were evaluated for each orchard, as well as the species composition of fruit fly between the environments surrounding the orchard and, finally, the sex ratio. A total of 579 individuals were collected of the species Anastrepha fraterculus, A. montei, A. obliqua, A. sororcula, A. striata, A. turpiniae and A. zenildae. The orchard surrounded by native forest had the highest species richness and Shannon diversity. The species composition differed between environments, with the formation of three distinct groups. The environment surrounding the guava orchard influences the richness, diversity, abundance and sex ratio of fruit flies, indicating that the native forest may provide more resources for the maintenance of these insects.

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar como a vegetação do entorno dos pomares afeta a assembleia de moscas-das-frutas. Para isto, foram coletadas moscas em pomares de goiabeiras com distintos tipos de vegetação no entorno (pastagens exóticas, mata nativa e fruticultura). O experimento foi conduzido em Itaporã e Dourados, Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. Amostras semanais foram coletadas de março a abril de 2015. As armadilhas McPhail foram iscadas com 5% de proteína hidrolisada de milho. A riqueza de espécies, o índice de diversidade e a abundância foram avaliados para cada pomar, assim como a composição de espécies de moscas-das-frutas entre os ambientes do entorno do pomar e razão sexual. Um total de 579 indivíduos foram coletados das espécies Anastrepha fraterculus, A. montei, A. obliqua, A. sororcula, A. striata, A. turpiniae e A. zenildae. O pomar cercado por mata nativa apresentou maior riqueza de espécies e diversidade de Shannon. A composição das espécies diferiu entre os ambientes, com a formação de três grupos distintos. O ambiente do entorno do pomar de goiabeira influencia a riqueza, diversidade, abundância e razão sexual das moscas-das-frutas, indicando que a mata nativa pode fornecer mais recursos para a manutenção desses insetos.

3ß-O-tigloylmelianol from Guarea kunthiana: a new potential agent to control Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, a cattle tick of veterinary significance.

Chemical investigation of Guarea kunthiana fruits, guided by their effect on the reproductive cycle of engorged females of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus-a major economic problem to the livestock industry worldwide-led to isolation of 3ß-O-tigloylmelianol, a new protolimonoid, from the bioactive hexane phase obtained by partitioning the crude ethanol extract. An adult immersion test was performed. The compound strongly inhibited egg-laying and hatchability (99.2% effectiveness at a 0.01% concentration). Melianone, isolated from the same phase, yielded unremarkable results in the adult immersion test. From the dichloromethane phase, melianol, melianodiol, meliantriol, and a new protolimonoid, 3ß-O-tigloylmeliantriol, were isolated, all of which, in the same manner as melianone, exhibited unremarkable results in the test. The structures of new and known compounds were mostly established by 1D- and 2D-NMR analyses and mass spectrometry data. This is the first report on the bioactivity of protolimonoids on the reproductive cycle of engorged females of R. (B.) microplus. 3ß-O-Tigloylmelianol proved a promising candidate for the development of a biocontrol agent against the cattle tick investigated, as an alternative to environmentally hazardous synthetic acaricides.