A new species of jewel beetle (Coleoptera, Buprestidae, Agrilus) triggers the production of the Brazilian red propolis.

Red propolis is a substance produced by bees by mixing resins from plants with wax, oils, and other secretions to protect the hive against natural enemies. Dalbergia ecastaphyllum (L.) Taub. (Fabaceae) is the primary botanical source of the Brazilian red propolis, where bees Apis mellifera L. collect a reddish resin from the stems to produce propolis. This species occurs in coastal dune and mangrove ecosystems, where local beekeepers install their beehives for propolis production. The induction of propolis production was virtually unknown. Previous reports and field evidence suggested that the reddish resin available in D. ecastaphyllum stems was not produced spontaneously but induced by the presence of a parasitic insect that feeds on the plant's stems. Research in the apiaries of the beekeepers' association of Canavieiras, Bahia, Brazil, led to the capture of a jewel beetle of an unknown species of the genus Agrilus Curtis (Buprestidae). It was confirmed that this jewel beetle is a red propolis production inductor. The adult and immature of this new species, Agrilus propolis Migliore, Curletti, and Casari sp. nov. are here described and illustrated. Behavioral information on the biology and chemical ecology confirms that the reddish resin of D. ecastaphyllum is directly related to the beetle attack and only occurs when Agrilus propolis sp. nov. adults emerge from the plant stem. This information is very important for Brazilian propolis producers interested in expanding red propolis production, which can have favorable effects on the economy of mangrove communities, promoting income generation, creating new business opportunities, and helping to sustain local communities and families.

Species survey of the subfamily Cerambycinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in the Rio Doce State Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The Rio Doce State Park ("PERD") is the largest Atlantic Forest remnant in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, with predominantly semi-deciduous forests. The longhorned beetles of the Cerambycinae subfamily (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are distributed worldwide, developing on healthy, stressed or recently dead trees. Faunistic surveys are necessary to understand about the Minas Gerais' cerambycid fauna due to a lack of research, especially in the eastern region of the state. A list of species of the subfamily Cerambycinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), collected in the PERD during the rainy season (September 2013- February 2014), is presented. The beetles were collected using a light trap and through their emergence from Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan (Fabaceae) logs. A total of 663 individuals of 33 species, 30 genera, and 15 tribes of the Cerambycinae subfamily were collected. The species Malacopterus tenellus (Fabricius, 1801) was registered for the first time in Minas Gerais State, while A. colubrina is a new host plant for 14 Cerambycinae species. The geographical distribution, number of host plants and materials examined are presented for each species collected. This is the first list of Cerambycidae species from the Rio Doce State Park.