Sequential sampling plan for Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) in guava orchards.

This study aimed to elaborate a sequential sampling plan for C. capitata in commercial orchards of guava. 90 McPhail traps were randomly installed in three guava orchards in a transverse direction for 23 weeks. The data were submitted to sequential probability ratio test. Adopted the average of 0.3 C. capitata for the level of security and 0.7 for the control action. In this sequential sampling plan was defined the average number of 0.40 adults of C. capitata for each trap McPhail (sample). The sequential plan generated is unprecedented and will contribute to the rapid and safe decision making in the control of C. capitata population in guava farming.

Reconsidering the Need for Empirical Alignment and Wavelength Calibration Steps in the Building of a Dispersive NIR Spectrometer with an Application for Ethanol Quantification Using a Polymer Filament 3D Printer.

The construction of a dispersive optical spectrometer using three-dimensional (3D) design software and printing, without applying any optical adjustments, its validation, and application to quantification of ethanol in multiproduct liquids, is the objective of this work. A 3D design software was used to design a near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer in the region from 800 to 1600 nm from the dimensions of commercially available optical components. The project was printed on a polymer filament 3D printer, and the components were fitted to the printed part. Software calculations using the model design parameters were applied to attribute the wavelength values to the abscissa axis in the spectra and estimate errors due to 3D printing limitations. The alignment of the spectrum was proven using the chloroform absorbance spectrum, which presented a maximum mispositioning of 4.1 nm concerning the literature data and effective bandwidths equivalent to commercial instruments. The 3D-printed instrument was applied to quantify ethanol in samples of cachaça, rum, beer, brandy, whiskey, vodka, mouth wash, alcohol gel, and commercial alcohol solutions. Partial least-squares regression models were built for the 3D-printed instrument and two commercial NIR instruments, the MPA II (Bruker) and the NIR DLP NIRscan (Texas Instruments), using a group of 180 standards. The three instruments reached excellent predictive capability with similar root mean square error of cross-validation (2.36-2.68) and prediction (2.31-2.87). The correlation coefficient of cross-validation and prediction for all models were between 0.97 and 0.98. The results show the feasibility of building a 3D-printed dispersive spectrometer ready for application with the simple docking of the optics, presenting acceptable accuracy to the project design concerning the printing limitations.

Spatial distribution and control levels of Anastrepha spp. (Diptera: Tephritidae) in guava orchards.

This study aimed to know the patterns of spatial distribution of Anastrepha spp. and establish a criterion for determining the appropriate time for pest control. For this, 90 McPhail traps were used as Sampling Units (SU) divided into three commercial orchards of Novo Milênio guava with a total area of 14 ha. Traps were interspersed between the rows of plants, systematically in the orchards, hung and baited with 5% hydrolyzed corn protein with weekly collections. We caught 8,170 Anastrepha spp. in 840 SU. The mean infestation index was compared to the three types of distribution: random, uniform, aggregate, and fit by the theoretical frequency distributions of Poisson, negative binomial and positive binomial. The populations of Anastrepha presented aggregate distribution according to the mean variance method (I), tested by distance from randomness. The economic damage risk potential of Anastrepha spp. was associated with the aggregate distribution behavior. The most appropriate moment for the use of control techniques is when reaching 20 flies by the negative binomial. On the other hand, number of fruit fly adults per trap per day (FTD), underestimates population index, which will allow population growth, leading to risk of crop production loss.

Sequential sampling plan for fruit fly species of the Genus Anastrepha (Diptera: Tephritidae) in guava orchards.

This study aimed to elaborate a sequential sampling plan for Anastrepha species in commercial orchards of guava Psidium guajava Novo Milênio cultivar. Samplings were carried out in three orchards in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Fruit flies were sampled for 23 weeks. Data were subjected to the sequential probability ratio test. We adopted the mean of 0.3 Anastrepha individuals for the safety level and 0.7 for the control level and the observed frequency was adjusted to the negative binomial expected frequency (Bn) for the equation of the line. The condition of adopting a control method recommended by S1 = 6.5554 + 0.5362n was observed in the upper line. In turn, the lower line, which does not require the use of a control method, is defined by So = -2.8229 + 0.5362n. The sequential sampling plan predicted the expected maximum number of 37 sampling units to decide whether or not to use control method(s). This sequential plan was defined with mean number of 0.54 adults for each McPhail trap unit (sample). The sequential plan generated is unprecedented and will contribute to the rapid and safe decision making in the control of Anastrepha species of economic importance in guava farming.

Fruit flies (Diptera, Tephritidae) and their parasitoids on cultivated and wild hosts in the Cerrado-Pantanal ecotone in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Fruit flies (Diptera, Tephritidae) and their parasitoids on cultivated and wild hosts in the Cerrado-Pantanal ecotone in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Information on frugivorous flies in cultivated or wild host plants and their parasitoids in the Cerrado-Pantanal ecotone in Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul is presented and discussed. Fruit fly samples were collected weekly in specific fruit trees, and McPhail® traps were installed in the same trees for a period of two years. The fruit flies infested ripe and unripe fruits of Averrhoa carambola L., Schoepfia sp., Psidium guajava L. and Pouteria torta (Mart.) Radlk and mature fruits of Anacardium occidentale L. and Inga laurina (Sw.) Willd. Nineteen fruit fly species were obtained with the combination of sampling methods (collecting fruits and trapping), nine of them obtained with both methods, five found only in fruits and five only in traps. This is the first record of Anastrepha striata Schiner in a species of Sapotaceae, as well as for A. castanea Norrbom and A. daciformes Bezzi in Schoepfia sp. (Olacaceae), and for A. distincta Greene in fruits of P. guajava in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Fruit collections simultaneously associated with capture of fruit flies by McPhail traps in the same host plants are essential to understand the diversity of fruit flies and their relationship with hosts and parasitoids. Species of Braconidae and Pteromalidae were recovered, where Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti) was the most abundant parasitoid in larvae of tephritids infesting both cultivated and wild host fruits.

In vitro activities of plant extracts from the Brazilian Cerrado and Pantanal against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari: Ixodidae).

A total of 73 ethanol extracts from different anatomical parts of 44 plant species belonging to 24 families, native to the Mid-Western region of Brazil, were assessed in vitro for their effect on the reproductive cycle of engorged females of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, using the adult immersion test. All extracts were evaluated at the concentration of 0.2 % and, among the extracts tested, the one obtained from the fruits of Guarea kunthiana (Meliaceae) proved to be highly efficacious, showing 99.1 % of product effectiveness. Extracts from other three species were shown to be moderately active, namely Nymphaea amazonum trunk (Nymphaeaceae) [51.7 %], Strychnos pseudoquina trunk (Loganiaceae) [48 %] [corrected] and Ocotea lancifolia leaves (Lauraceae) [34.5 %], while the remaining extracts were shown to be weakly active or inactive. This is the first report on the bioactivity of these species on egg production by engorged females of R. microplus.

Frugivoria de larvas de Neosilba McAlpine (Diptera, Lonchaeidae) sobre Psittacanthus plagiophyllus Eichler (Santalales, Loranthaceae) no sudoeste de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil / Larval frugivory of Neosilba McAlpine (Diptera, Lonchaeidae) on Psittacanthus plagiophyllus Eichler (Santalales, Loranthaceae) in southwestern Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil

Loranthaceae são plantas hemiparasitas com distribuição geográfica mundial e representadas no Brasil por seis gêneros. Os mais importantes são Phthirusa, Psittacanthus e Struthanthus, os quais parasitam uma grande diversidade de plantas hospedeiras. Este trabalho avaliou a occurrência e a flutuação sazonal de moscas infestando os frutos de Psittacanthus plagiophyllus nos municípios de Anastácio, Aquidauana e Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil, onde ervas-de-passarinho são disseminadas. As coletas foram realizadas de junho de 1998 a julho de 2000 para obtenção de frutos maduros de P. plagiophyllus, seus insetos associados e catalogação dos seus hospedeiros. Os insetos foram criados para identificação, sendo obtidos 1.522 adultos de Neosilba spp., destes, 612 machos foram identificados a nível específico: Neosilba bifida Strikis & Prado (6 indivíduos), N. certa (Walker) (26 indivíduos), N. pendula (Bezzi) (16 indivíduos), N. zadolicha McAlpine & Steyskal (4 indivíduos) e duas diferentes espécies: morfotipo MSP1 (478 indivíduos) e morfotipo 4 (82 indivíduos). O período de mais alta infestação por Neosilba spp. ocorreu durante agosto de 1998 e de 1999 e, a espécie morfotipo MSP1 foi significativamente mais abundante que todas as outras. A morfotipo 4 foi a segunda mais abundante, diferindo significativamente de Neosilba zadolicha. Neosilba foi o único gênero de moscas frugívoras (Tephritoidea) infestante dos frutos de P. plagiophyllus e comportou-se como um invasor primário neste hospedeiro.

Loranthaceae are hemiparasite plants with worldwide distribuition, represented in Brazil by six genera. The most important are Phthirusa, Psittacanthus and Struthanthus that parasitize a great diversity of host plants. This paper evaluated the occurrence and the seasonal fluctuation of flies infesting the fruits of Psittacanthus plagiophyllus in the municipalities of Anastácio, Aquidauana and Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, where mistletoes are widespread. The samples were taken from June 1998 to July 2000 to obtain the hosts and its associated insects. All insects were reared until adult stage, and it were obtained 1,522 adults of Neosilba spp., of which 612 males were identified at species level: Neosilba bifida Strikis & Prado (6 specimens), N. certa (Walker) (26 specimens), N. pendula (Bezzi) (16 specimens), N. zadolicha McAlpine & Steyskal (4 specimens) and two different species, morphotype MSP1 (478 specimens) and morphotype 4 (82 specimens). The period of highest infestation by Neosilba spp. occurred during August 1998 and 1999, and morphotype MSP1 was significantly more abundant than all other species. The species morphotype 4 was the second most abundant, differing significantly from Neosilba zadolicha. Neosilba was the only genus of frugivorous fly infesting fruits of P. plagiophyllus and behaves as primary invader in this host.