Revista Colombiana de Entomología

Development and Thermal Requirements of Abaris basistriata (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Under Laboratory Conditions

Maria José Araújo Wanderley — 2024-06-21

The carabid beetle Abaris basistriata (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is noteworthy for its predatory capabilities and its generalist function in the habitat. This study aimed to assess the influence of different temperatures on the development of A. basistriata and determine its thermal requirements. The insect was fed with larvae of Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and maintained at 18, 22, 25, and 28 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 10 % relative humidity, and 14-hour photoperiod. There were significant differences in the development time of stages and instars of A. basistriata as a function of temperature. Threshold temperatures for egg, larva, pupa, and preimaginal development were 10.68, 11.32, 12.67, and 11.73 °C, respectively. The thermal constants were 82.41, 264.83, 84.57, and 664.89 degree-days, respectively. The highest number of A. basistriata individuals reached the adult stage in the shortest time of development at 28 °C, where 70 % of survival was recorded. This finding suggests that 28 °C is the most favorable temperature for rearing this carabid species under laboratory conditions.

Occurrence of Ancistrosoma klugii Curtis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), and its importance as a possible phytosanitary risk in Peru

Agustina Valverde-Rodríguez — 2024-03-12

The objective of the present study is to report the feeding and copulation habits and provide a diagnosis of the adult stage of Ancistrosoma klugii and its importance as a possible phytosanitary risk based on specimens collected in the department of Huánuco, Peru, where the insect is a polyphagous pest at certain times of the year. The habits of the insect were monitored through observations of the populations in the field. Groups of A. klugii were observed made up of 6 to 8 individuals close to each other, found in the floral parts, foliage and branches of citrus trees, avocado trees, mangoes, grapevines and alfalfa fields, feeding and copulating simultaneously, especially in the morning hours, from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. In alfalfa crops, up to an average of 42 adult individuals per square meter could be counted. Differences were found in the size of male and female individuals with 27.2 mm in length and 24.4 mm, respectively, as well as differences in the abdominal sternites with a modification in a reduction of the sternites to a spine and a heavily sclerotized stooped aedeagus in the male; and the female with an abdomen without the spine, with the anterior margin of the pygidium sinuous.

Strategus aloeus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) damage in two agave species and its management based on entomopathogenic fungi in oil suspensions

Teodulfo Aquino-Bolaños — 2024-01-11

Due to its agroecological characteristics, more than 24 species of agave have been developed and cultivated in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, which have been fully exploited for the production of mezcal, an activity of economic importance. This crop is affected by the incidence of Strategus aloeus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), an insect that causes damage and losses of economic importance to agave plants less than 3 years of age, for its control systemic insecticides are used; however, due to the habits of the insect, biological control is an alternative for its management. In this study, losses and damage caused by adults of S. aloeus on Agave potatorum Zucc. and A. angustifolia Haw. were determined from field observations. In the laboratory, two entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium robertsii (formerly known as M. anisopliae), were evaluated at a concentration of 1X107 conidia/insect in vegetable oil emulsions (Persea americana, Ricinus communis, and Prunus dulcis) at two concentrations of 20 % and 40 %. The damage found for A. potatorum with a sample size of 85 plants evaluated was 79.90 %. For A. angustifolia, with the same number of plants, 65.86 % damage was found. The losses found in 85 plants of A. angustifolia with damage grades 4 and 5 were 1 794.9 and 2 227.5 g/plant and for A. potatorum with damage grades 4 and 5 were 1 631.9 and 2 119.7 g/plant. In the laboratory, 48 hours were needed for 10 0% effectiveness on S. aloeus adults with the treatments B. bassiana + P. americana 40 % and B. bassiana + P. dulcis 40 %.

Survey of tenuipalpid mites (Acariformes: Tenuipalpidae) in orchid species with the presence of Cilevirus in Colombia

José Mauricio Montes-Rodríguez — 2024-05-17

To understand and manage viruses causing citrus leprosis it is necessary to identify their alternate host plants and know their distributions. Currently, the citrus leprosis disease is associated with several viruses of the genera Cilevirus and Dichoravirus. In Colombia, symptoms of citrus leprosis have been related to citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C - Cilevirus leprosis) and citrus leprosis virus C2 (CiLV-C2 - Cilevirus colombiaense). To detect leprosis-associated viruses in plants of the family Orchidaceae and identify the possible associated vectors, inspections and samplings were carried out on garden plants and orchid crops, and molecular detection of viruses and the taxonomic identification of mites were accomplished. As a result, Brevipalpus californicus s. l., B. phoenicis s.s., and B. essigi (Prostigmata: Tenuipalpidae) are recorded for the first time on orchid plants from Colombia. A taxonomic key is provided to identify mites of the family Tenuipalpidae on orchids worldwide. The implications of these mites for the phytosanitary protection in citrus crops of Colombia are discussed.

Climate and its relationship with the population dynamics and dispersion of the coffee berry borer Hypothenemus hampei in an altitudinal gradient in the Risaralda River basin, Caldas, Colombia

Luis Miguel Constantino Chuaire — 2024-06-11

The population dynamics of the Coffee Berry Borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei was studied under different climatic and altitudinal conditions, in five Coffea arabica plots, with a density of 5,000 trees in an altitudinal gradient, where meteorological stations were installed. In each plot, 30 trees were randomly selected, and the levels of infestation, dispersion and population density were evaluated every month for 3 years. The results showed an increase of 23.9 %, 20.2 % and 5.9 % of CBB infestation at 1,132 m during an El Niño, Neutral and La Niña period respectively, in contrast to 5.3 %, 2.1 % and 2.5 % infestation at 1,822 m. The average number of CBB individuals per tree during an El Niño period was 1,850, compared to 1,376 and 629 individuals during a Neutral and La Niña period. The temperature showed an increase of 2,5°C above the historical average due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon. CBB dispersal showed a positive and negative exponential relationship with temperature and altitude, with a cumulative total of 2´815,332 individuals caught in traps during the El Niño period, compared to 1´650,897 and 173,814 in a Neutral and La Niña period, respectively. There was a natural epizootic of the Beauveria bassiana fungus that caused mortalities between 85 % and 95 % in the CBB populations. Altitudinal transects in the same hydrographic basin serve to understand the interactions between pests, the climate, and their natural enemies, which allow generating early warnings to develop control strategies.

The Development and survival of Triatoma barberi and Triatoma longipennis (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) is affected by Trypanosoma cruzi colonization

Marco Antonio Becerril-Flores — 2024-03-13

Triatomines are insect vectors of the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. This occurs when the triatomine defecates on the skin of the vertebrate host when it bites its host for feeding. This lesion causes the penetration of T. cruzi, whose infective phase is the tripomastigote, and the non-infective replicative phase epimastigote. Although the effects of T. cruzi on the development and survival of different species of triatomine bugs are known, it has not been fully described how the parasite affects many of the species that inhabit Mexico. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of the presence of T. cruzi on triatomine development and survival. For this, five triatomines of each instar of each species, Triatoma barberi and Triatoma longipennis, were inoculated, from their second instar to their adult stage, female or male. Each triatomine was infected with 3-5 x105 parasites and they were incubated for 100 days and the kinetic of parasites in the feces and T. cruzi phases were recorded. The results showed that T. barberi and T. longipennis development was affected in all stages because of T. cruzi infection. It was greater for T. longipennis, both in its mortality, as well as time to molt in each phase.

Diversity trends of ants and carabids in four altitudes at the Farallones Natural Park, Colombia

Erik Daniel Narvaez-Vidal — 2024-06-04

The different environmental conditions throughout the habitats at different altitudes of the tropical Andes allow the settlement and stratification of a great diversity of flora and fauna, including insects. In order to evaluate the change in the diversity of ants and carabid beetles as a function of an altitudinal gradient in the National Natural Park Farallones de Cali (Colombian southwest), the ant and carabid fauna were analyzed in a sub-Andean Forest (1600 m a.s.l.), an Andean Forest (2400 m a.s.l.), a high Andean Forest (3200 m a.s.l.) and a paramo ecosystem (3800 m a.s.l.). In each altitude, the specimens were collected with pitfall traps, manually, foliage agitation, leaf litter sifting with mini-Winkler bags extraction, and light traps in a standardized way was carried out during a single expedition of five days at each locality. Diversity was evaluated through accumulation curves and diversity indices with the Hill series and its comparison between locations was made through additive partitioning and NMDS. The results support a decrease in ant diversity with increasing altitude, and an accumulation of carabid diversity at intermediate altitudes of the gradient. The diversity of both groups is consistent with Rapoport's altitudinal rule. Each altitude presented a unique species composition, except for carabids found at the high Andean and sub-Andean forests. This study contributes to the knowledge of the diversity of insects in forests, moorland (paramos) and sub-moorlands of the PNN Farallones de Cali, which until now, was almost unknown and will also serve as a basis for future studies.

First record of Caliothrips phaseoli (Hood, 1912) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on Arachis spp. (Fabaceae) in Brazil

Rodrigo Souza Santos — 2024-04-28

The objective of this work was to establish the first record of Caliothrips phaseoli (Hood, 1912) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae); in forage peanut accessions in the state of Acre, Brazil. The specimens were collected directly from the leaves of infested plants grown in pots and under greenhouse conditions, preserved in 70 % ethyl alcohol, and mounted on slides to later be observed under a microscope. Caliothrips phaseoli is a polyphagous species considered an important pest in bean and soybean crops in Brazil. The insect feeds on forage peanuts causes chlorosis on the leaves and delays the development of infested plants, although no mortality was verified.