Differential Haematobia irritans infestation levels in beef cattle raised in silvopastoral and conventional pasture systems.

The use of silvopastoral systems (SPS) can be a good alternative to reduce the environmental impacts of livestock breeding in Brazil. One of the reasons for its scarce adoption is the lack of information on health and productivity of cattle raised under these conditions. The experiment reported here was designed to compare the infestation by external parasites - the cattle tick (Rhipicephalus microplus), horn fly (Haematobia irritans), and larvae of the botfly (Dermatobia hominis) - in beef cattle raised in a SPS and a conventional pasture system (CPS), evaluated for 24 months. Data on air and soil temperature, solar radiation, wind incidence and water balance were used to characterize the SPS and CPS. R. microplus adult females and D. hominis larvae were counted on the body of each animal to determine the parasites burdens, but we did not find significant differences between the two systems. Horn flies counts on animals' body, and analysis of the horn fly and its pupal parasitoids associated with the dung pats were obtained in the two systems. Horn fly infestation was significantly lower (p=0.01) in the SPS (13.17±3.46) in comparison with the CPS (24.02±4.43). In SPS and CPS, respectively, the mean densities of pupae of H. irritansin dung pats were 9.8 and 10.7; the mean density of adults of H. irritans, 3.7 and 3.5; and the density of its pupal parasitoids were 20.5 and 5.4. The effect of production system was significant (p<0.05) only for the occurrence of pupal parasitoids of the horn fly, where the greatest occurrences of these natural enemies were in the SPS. These data indicate that natural enemies were able to control, at least partially, the horn fly populations in the cattle.

Seletividade de Inseticidas a Brevicoryne brassicae (L. ) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) e ao Predador Doru luteipes (Scudder) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) / Insecticide Selectivity to Brevicoryne brassicae (L. ) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and the Predator Doru luteipes (Scudder) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae)

The objective of this work was to study the selectivity of the insecticides acephate, deltamethrin, dimethoate, methamidophos, methyl parathion, and pirimicarb to first, second, and third instar nymphs and adults of the predator Doru luteipes (Scudder) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) in comparison with last instar nymphs of the prey Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Pirimicarb and deltamethrin were highly selective to all developmental stages of D. luteipes; the same was observed with acephate except for first instar nymphs to whom it showed median selectivity. Dimethoate showed median selectivity, but methamidophos and methyl parathion were low selective to the predator. Second and third instar nymphs and adults of D. luteipes were more tolerant to acephate, methyl parathion and pirimicarb than first instar nymphs. First and second instar nymphs showed similar tolerance to deltamethrin, dimethoate and methamidophos. Concentration-response curves for dimethoate (to adults and first and second instar nymphs) and methamidophos (to third instar nymphs) showed steeper slopes indicating an homogeneous response of these developmental stages to these insecticides.

Este trabalho teve por objetivo estudar a seletividade dos inseticidas acefato, deltametrina, dimetoato, metamidofós, paratiom metílico e pirimicarbe a ninfas de último estádio de Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), em relação a adultos e ninfas de primeiro, segundo e terceiro estádios do predador Doru luteipes (Scudder) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae). Pirimicarbe e deltametrina foram altamente seletivos em favor de todos os estádios de desenvolvimento de D. luteipes, sendo que o mesmo ocorreu para o acefato, com exceção de ninfas de primeiro estádio do predador às quais ele é medianamente seletivo. Dimetoato foi, em geral, medianamente seletivo enquanto metamidofós e paratiom metílico foram pouco seletivos em favor do predador. Adultos e ninfas de segundo e terceiro estádios de D. luteipes foram mais tolerantes ao acefato, paratiom metílico e pirimicarbe do que ninfas de primeiro estádio do predador. Ninfas de primeiro e segundo estádios apresentaram tolerância semelhante a deltametrina, dimetoato e metamidofós. As curvas de concentração-mortalidade do dimetoato (para adultos, ninfas de primeiro e segundo estádios do predador) e metamidofós (para ninfas de terceiro estádio) apresentaram as maiores inclinações, indicando que os estádios estudados apresentam resposta homogênea a esses inseticidas.