Combined analysis of supernatant-based feeding bioassays and PCR as a first-tier screening strategy for Vip -derived activities in Bacillus thuringiensis strains effective against tropical fall armyworm.

AIMS: To assess whether feeding bioassays using culture-supernatant proteins could be combined with PCR into a first-tier screening strategy for Vip3A-like genes efficient against tropical Spodoptera frugiperda. METHODS AND RESULTS: Out of 12 Bacillus thuringiensis strains studied, the total protein concentrated from the culture supernatant of only the strain HD125 yielded a significantly increased armyworm mortality and an intense band of the predicted size for VIP3A protein in SDS-PAGE. However, PCR and sequencing data indicated Vip-like genes are ubiquitous in tropical B. thuringiensis isolates. Interestingly, the HD125 strain was also the only one displaying a single-band amplification pattern and the highest sequence identity to the reported Vip3A(a) gene. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest the insecticidal effectiveness of putative VIPs in B. thuringiensis isolates can be preliminarily estimated by the use of supernatant-derived total protein in feeding experiments, though only in a limited manner. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: A simple and cost-effective first-tier screening strategy for VIP-derived activities in B. thuringiensis collections can be developed by combining PCR and feeding bioassays. Moreover, the employed primers showed to be useful as a tool for strains differentiation at DNA level, and for characterization and isolation of Vip-like genes in tropical B. thuringiensis germplasm.

[Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) as parasite of Ophyra aenescens (Diptera: Muscidae) in Brazil]. / Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) como parasita de Ophyra aenescens (Diptera: Muscidae) no Brasil.

The first occurrence of the parasitoid Pachycrepoideus vindemiae on pupae of Ophyra aenescens, a fly of medical-sanitary importance, is reported. A swine carcass was used as bait to collect the insects. In the study, 302 pupae of Ophyra aenescens (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Muscidae) were obtained, 6 (1.98%) of them yielded the parasitoid Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae

Dípteros muscóides associados com carcaça de suíno e seus parasitóides em área de pastagem e de mata em Goiás / Muscoids dipterous insects associated with pig carcass and their parasitoids collected in areas of pasture and of wood in Goiás, Brazil

Muscoid dipterous insects associated with pig carcass and their parasitoids collected in pasture and wood were collected from savanna (cerrado) at Goiás, Brazil. The species collected more often were: Chrysomya albiceps (89.5 per cent ), Ophyra sp. (6.9 per cent) (flies) and Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (33.3 per cent) and Spalangia endius (38.8 per cent) (parasitoids). The parasitism rate was 0.4 per cent

Dípteros muscóides de importância média e veterinária e seus parasitóides em Goiás / Muscoid dipterous of medical and veterinary importance and their parasitoids in Goias State, Brazil

The objective of this work was to identify flies of medical and veterinary importance and their natural enemies, located around the city of Itumbiara, GO, Brazil. Five thousand eight hundred and twenty-five muscoid dipterous insects and parasitoids were collected from a Brazilian savanna (cerrado) area of Itumbiara. Substrates for obtaining flies were liver. The most frequent fly and parasitoid species found were: Fannnia pusio (29.2 per cent) and Atherigona orientalis (26.8 per cent) (flies), Nasonia vitripennis (56.0 per cent) and Brachymeria sp. (26.6 per cent) (parasitoids). Musca domestica was the dipterous species of greatest sanitary importance collected. This is the first report of the species Brachymeria sp. and Hememcyrtus sp. in the State of Goias. Data contribute to the knowledge of dipterous and parasitoids fauna in the state of Goias

Dípteros muscóides associados com fezes bovinas e seus parasitóides em Goiás / Muscoid dipterous insects associated with cattle feces and their parasitoids in Goiás State, Brazil

A total number of 8779 pupae of Diptera were collected in stables in the municipal district of Itumbiara, GO, Brazil, from June to December 1999. The principal fly and parasitoid species found were Musca domestica L. (38.4 per cent), Sarcophagula occidua Fabricius (51.5 per cent) (flies), Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Rondani) (28.0 per cent) and Paraganaspis egeria Diaz & Gallardo (29.3 per cent)