José Eduardo Serrão

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• Prof Dr
• Principal Investigator at Federal University of Viçosa

Ants occur in a remarkable diversity of species, many of which fulfill essential ecological roles and exhibit complex eusocial behaviors. Among their unique adaptations are specialized exocrine glands, such as the pre‐pharyngeal and pharyngeal glands, which produce secretions crucial for physiology and social cohesion. Despite their importance, the...

Pollination by honey bees (Apis mellifera) is crucial for maintaining biodiversity and crop yields. However, the widespread use of pesticides may threaten bees' survival by contaminating their resources. Lambda-cyhalothrin, a neurotoxic insecticide commonly used in agricultural pest control, poses particular risks. In insects, the midgut and fat bo...

The Amblyoponinae genus Fulakora comprises 25 Neotropical, Nearctic and Australasian species. To date, only one species of Fulakora, F. cleae, has been cytogenetically studied, with 2n=18 chromosomes, and no information is available on the immature stages of the genus. In this study, we describe two additional karyotypes for Fulakora (F. elongata a...

Caterpillars of the genus Spodoptera are the main pests in soybean and cotton crops and Spodoptera cosmioides causes more severe losses than other caterpillars in these agricultural crops. However, there are few recommended insecticides for controlling this pest. Lambda-cyhalothrin is a pyrethroid used to control a wide spectrum of arthropods inclu...

Fungus-farming ants (Myrmicinae: Attini: Attina) form mutualistic associations with Agaricales fungi. The group is divided in lower and higher attine ants. Genera Trachymyrmex, Mycetomoellerius, and Paratrachymyrmex are part of higher attine ants, the latter two recently erected and composed of species that were all formerly within Trachymyrmex. Mo...

Agricultural insecticide usage presents a complex challenge, particularly when addressing hidden targets such as concealed pest species. Typically, insecticide spraying targets either the host plant or the soil substrate, reaching the target when the pests move or feed, yet their vulnerability when concealed remains low. This study delves into the...

Wasps from the Polysphincta genus group (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) are currently the only parasitoid wasps that are ectoparasitoids of spiders. The species of the group exhibit several morphological and behavioral adaptations, which allow exploiting their host spiders. Here, we describe the external morphology, behavior and natural his...

Euschistus heros (Fabricius, 1798) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) is a soybean pest in Brazil. It has a reproductive success that may be associated with the female receptaculum seminis or spermatheca, a reproductive organ for spermatozoa storage until the oocyte fertilization. This study describes the anatomy and histology of the female receptaculum s...

The trap-jaw ant Acanthognathus Mayr, 1887 (Fomicidae: Myrmicinae) has been subject of various studies since 1969, but its cytogenetics remains unexplored. This study provides the first karyotype description of a representative of this genus, A. rudis, including chromosomal number, morphology, and the distribution of repetitive sequences. A colony...

Bedellia somnulentella Zeller, 1847 (Lepidoptera: Bedelliidae), a global pest of the sweet potato Ipomoea batatas, was recorded in Brazil, but morphological information on the sexual dimorphism of this insect is scarce. The objective was to evaluate morphological characters of sexual dimorphism of B. somnulentella pupae and adults. External structu...

Worldwide, both cultivated and wild plants are pollinated by the honey bee, Apis mellifera . Bee numbers are declining as a result of a variety of factors, including increased pesticide use. Cyflumetofen controls pest mites in some plantations pollinated by bees, which may be contaminated with residual sublethal concentrations of this pesticide, in...

Apis mellifera, crucial pollinators for both native and cultivated plants, also yield various products such as honey, wax, royal jelly, and propolis, extensively utilized in the food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics industries. Nosema ceranae, a prevalent microsporidian worldwide, stands as a significant pathogen for A. mellifera, showing resistance...

The high diversity in ants has been associated with some genomic divergences, including karyotype, nuclear genome size and DNA sequences. This study investigated if DNA ploidy levels varies among organs of the worker subcastes of the carpenter ant Camponotus aff. balzani. We also examined if DNA ploidy levels variation may contribute to variations...

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins are potential alternatives to synthetic insecticides for the control of lepidopteran pests. However, the evolution of resistance in some insect pest populations is a threat and can reduce the effectiveness of Bt toxins. In this review, we summarize the results of 161 studies from 20 countries reporting field and l...

Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) is a predator of phytophagous pests in crops; however, this natural enemy may be exposed to chemical insecticides. Thiamethoxam (neonicotinoid) and chlorantraniliprole (anthranilic diamide) are classified as selective insecticides, but their side effects on the midgut of non-target organisms are...

Ant venom has several functions, including predation, communication, defense against predators, and action against pathogens. There is a scarcity of data about ant venom components that could provide support for understanding the mechanisms of action. The objective here was to identify the amino acids and proteins in the venom of the predatory ant...

Different alternative hosts can reduce or even avoid pre-imaginal conditioning of parasitoids in mass production programs. Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) may be an alternative host for mass rearing the parasitoid Palmistichus elaeisis Delvare & LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). The objective of this study was to evaluate t...

The honey bee Apis mellifera plays a significant role as a pollinator of native and cultivated plants, by increasing the productivity of several cultures, preserving the flora, and producing forest seeds. However, bee populations are declining worldwide, including A. mellifera, due to Colony Collapse Disorder, mainly resulting from the constant use...

Fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a global pest causing damage to several crops. However, its management using chemical control is a challenge due to its capacity to evolve resistance to insecticides. After 6 generations of selection with lambda-cyhalothrin, the LC50 for the insecticide-resistant st...

The caterpillar Anticarsia gemmatalis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a prevalent pest in soybean plantations, managed using both natural and synthetic chemical products. However, the emergence of resistance in some populations emphasizes the need to explore alternative insecticides. Flupyradifurone, a neurotoxic insecticide, has not been previously us...

Bees are crucial pollinators in terrestrial ecosystems, responsible for 80% of insect-driven pollination and playing a vital role in the pollination of 75% of crops. The honey bee, Apis mellifera , is not only used in honey production but also serves as a pollinator in agriculture. However, A. mellifera faces various challenges, including exposure...

The leaf‐cutter ant Atta sexdens is crucial in ecological balance and economic activities, due to its contribution to the aeration and accumulation of organic matter in the soil, but it may also be an agricultural pest when it defoliates plants for the fungus growth used as a food source. This leaf‐cutter ant exhibits a polymorphic worker caste sys...

Polybia occidentalis (Olivier) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) is an important predator of soft-bodied arthropods, and its association with plant species can provide information about the preference of this wasp for plant substrate and the mechanisms for this choice. The objective was to report the first occurrence of P. occidentalis nesting on a Lafoensia...

Horismenus Walker (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is one of the largest genera in Eulophidae, and additional collecting in tropical America will undoubtedly add numerous new species. Here we describe nine new species of Horismenus from material collected in Brazil, mainly in Atlantic Forest remnants: H. amplicavus sp. nov., H. atlanticus sp. nov., H. bil...

The vitellogenin receptor (VgR) is essential for the uptake and transport of the yolk precursor, vitellogenin (Vg). Vg is synthesized in the fat body, released in the hemolymph, and absorbed in the ovaries, via receptor‐mediated endocytosis. Besides its important role in the reproductive pathway, Vg occurs in nonreproductive worker honey bee, sugge...

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is a vector for various arboviruses, including dengue and yellow fever. Insecticides, such as pyrethroids and organophosphates, are widely used to manage and control these insects. However, mosquitoes have developed resistance to these chemicals. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of the commercial for...

Bedellia somnulentella Zeller, 1847 (Lepidoptera: Bedelliidae), a global pest of the sweet potato Ipomoea batatas , was recorded in Brazil, but morphological information on sexual dimorphism of this insect is scarce. The objective was to evaluate morphological characters of sexual dimorphism of B somnulentella pupae and adults. External structures...

Hymenoepimecis wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) are ectoparasitoids of spiders that modify the hosts’ behaviour by inducing changes in webs. Variations in the male reproductive tract contribute to enhancing our understanding of the reproductive behaviour of these insects. This study describes the morphology of the male reproductive tract of Hymen...

Terminalia argentea Mart. (Combretaceae), native to Brazil, is used in habitat restoration programs. Arthropods are bioindicators because their populations reflect changes in the environment. We evaluated the recovery of a degraded area by using ecological indices and analyzing arthropod interactions on T. argentea plants. The richness and diversit...

The bioecology and infestation aspects of Neotuerta platensis Berg, 1882 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on plants are poorly known. This insect fed on the leaves of common purslane, Portulaca oleracea L. (Portulacaceae) for two consecutive years, which triggered its study in the following five years in Januária, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The objective...

Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hübner, 1818) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) larvae inflict damage on host plants by consuming their leaves. Controlling them represents a key strategy for mitigating economic losses in Brazilian soybean cultivation. In this study, we elucidate the impact of dysbiosis, induced via exposure to the antibiotic tetracycline (TCN), on A....

The velvetbean caterpillar (VBC), Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a significant soybean pest in the Americas and controlled mainly with chemical insecticides. Toxicity, survival, respiration, and anti-feeding effect of the VBC larvae exposed to four neurotoxic insecticides (α-cypermethrin, abamectin, chlorpyrifos, and thia...

Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hübner, 1818) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) larvae inflict damage on host plants by consuming their leaves. Controlling them represents a key strategy for mitigating economic losses in Brazilian soybean cultivation. In this study, we elucidate the impact of dysbiosis, induced via exposure to the antibiotic tetracycline (TCN), on A....

Production and sale of botanical insecticides depend on knowing the potential opportunities for these products. Essential oils from plants secondary metabolism can control pests, especially in agricultural systems where synthetic insecticides are limited, as in organic agriculture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of essenti...

We investigated the male and female reproductive tracts of Gyretes sp. with light and transmission electron microscopies. The male has a pair of testes with a single coiled follicle, followed by short efferent ducts, which have a similar shape and diameter to the testes. Long ducts (epididymides) with differential epithelium open in a pair of long...

We investigated the male and female reproductive tracts of Gyretes sp. with light and transmission electron microscopies. The male has a pair of testes with a single coiled follicle, followed by short efferent ducts, which have a similar shape and diameter to the testes. Long ducts (epididymides) with differential epithelium open in a pair of long...

Social insects are characterized by having a wide diversity of exocrine glands, with highlights for ants with about 85 glands spreading throughout the body. The mandibular and intramandibular glands are associated with the production of pheromones. The army ants (Dorylinae) play an important role in the structure of the invertebrate community becau...

Hemocytes are cells present in the hemolymph of insects that play a role in combating invasive pathogens, ensuring defense by the immune system in these organisms. While the types of hemocytes are well known in some insect representatives, data on these cells in Hymenoptera are limited to certain bees and wasps, with little information available fo...

Spodoptera cosmioides Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a pest of soybean and cotton crops, whose control is mainly carried out using few chemical insecticides. Diamide flubendiamide is a potential insecticide to control S. cosmioides , which is effective in controlling several pests and have little effect on beneficial arthropods and natural enem...

Predatory stink bugs are important biological control agents in agricultural and forest crops. The use of these natural enemies by companies, growers, and research centers has been an important tactic in controlling larvae pest outbreaks. Brontocoris tabidus (Signoret) and Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) were kept for 24, 36,...

Secondary plant metabolites can cause repellence, food and oviposition deterrence, sterilization, metabolism blockage, and interference in the development and death of insects. The wild tomato Solanum habrochaites Knapp & Spooner (Solanaceae) is resistant to several lepidopterous and coleopterous pests. The objective was to identify bioactive const...

Abstract The world is currently facing a severe economic crisis and the rational consumption and reuse of products, including waste are necessary. Agriculture wastes have importance containing beneficial and economic value matters, which unutilized may lead to environmental pollution. Date seed is one of these viable wastes with high nutritional va...

The stingless bee Partamona helleri plays a role in pollinating both native and cultivated plants in the Neotropics. However, its populations can be reduced by the pyrethroid insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin. This compound may cross the intestinal barrier and circulate through the hemolymph, affecting various non-target bee organs. The aim of the pre...

Spilomelinae comprises more than 5,200 described species worldwide. Several species are known for their economic impact on crops, occurring in high populations in host plants, with different degrees of host specificity. The objective was to record caterpillars of Syngamia florella (Stoll in Cramer & Stoll) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae) fee...

Simple Summary The cotton boll weevil is the main cotton pest in the Americas. Alternative diets induce reproductive dormancy and/or diapause in this weevil. This fact has led researchers to postulate that these boll weevils in reproductive diapause can survive during the off-season, colonizing the subsequent cotton crop. However, there are no data...

Anticarsia gemmatalis is a defoliator caterpillar of soybean that can be controlled by chemical and biological agents. However, resistant populations of this insect have been reported, which requires research to identify control alternatives. Abamectin acts by contact and ingestion, affecting the muscles and nervous system of insects. However, its...

The endoparasitoid wasp Palmistichus elaeisis Delvare & LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is used to control defoliating lepidopteran pests. Chemical insecticides are not compatible with natural enemies, but bioinsecticides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt), have great potential for use in integrated pest management. However, interactio...

The use of recovered DNA ingested by necrophagous or hematophagous insects has increased in forensic sciences, mainly with representatives of flies. However, some beetles are also important for medico-legal forensic entomology because they feed on carcasses until advanced decomposition. This study evaluated whether the Neotropical carrion beetle Ox...

Rhodnius neglectus is a wild triatomine, vector of the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas’ disease, and feeds on the blood of small mammals, being essential for its growth and reproduction. Accessory glands of the female reproductive tract are important in insect reproduction, but their anatomy and histology in R. neglectus are poorly...

It has been claimed that termitophile astigmatid mites reach large population sizes in weak termite colonies, but it is still unclear if the mites are the cause of the colony weakness or if they take some advantage of it. This study addresses this question by evaluating the size of the mite Australhypopus sp. population in colonies of the termite C...

Citrus are important commodities for human and animal nutrition but these crops are attacked by a plethora of dangerous agents, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and invertebrates that decrease the yield significantly. Within invertebrates, insects are the more prevalent citrus pests causing plant damage or act as diseases vector. In this chapter...

Insect pests introduced in eucalyptus plantations in Brazil are mostly of Australian origin, but native microorganisms have potential for their management. High quality biopesticide production based on entomopathogenic fungi depends on adequate technologies. The objective of this study was to evaluate Mycoharvester® equipment to harvest and separat...

Cleruchoides noackae Lin & Huber (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) was imported to Brazil in 2012, to manage the exotic pest Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellapé (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae), which has been damaging eucalyptus plantations. Knowledge of the thermal requirements and the fertility life table of C. noackae is important to improve mas...

Stingless bees are pollinators in forests and crops that, during foraging, may be exposed to several environmental xenobiotics, including metallic elements. This study evaluated the presence of magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), molybdenum (Mo), cadmium (Cd), ba...

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by elevated arterial pressure and vascular resistance. PAH may cause alterations in the microcirculation of several organs, including the kidney, liver, brain, and testes. However, it remains unclear whether monocrotaline-induced PAH exerts detrimental effects on animal testes. Thus, we analyze...

Apis mellifera is an important bee pollinating native and crop plants but its recent population decline has been linked to the use of pesticides, including fungicides that have been commonly classified as safe for bees. However, many pesticides, in addition to direct mortality cause sublethal effects, including damage to target selective honey bee...

The fungus Austropuccinia psidii infects young tissues of Eucalyptus plants until they are two years old in the nursery and field, causing Myrtaceae rust. The characteristics making older eucalypt leaves resistant to A. psidii and the reason for the low levels of this pathogen in older plants need evaluations. The aim of this study was to evaluate...

Soils present high fungal diversity, including entomopathogenic species. These fungi are used in pest control, providing easy production, multiplication, application, and dispersion in the field. The objective of the present study was to evaluate entomopathogenic fungal diversity in soils from eucalyptus and soybean crops and natural forest areas....

The characteristic odor of Heteroptera is produced by metathoracic glands, which is poorly evaluated in the brown stink bug Scaptocoris castanea Perty, 1833 (Heteroptera: Cydnidae), an important agricultural pest. This study describes the anatomy, histology, and ultrastructure of the external scent efferent system, associated metathoracic gland, an...

The midgut of bees plays a significant role in digestion and absorption and is a gateway for pathogens. As a protection for the organism, the midgut lumen is lined by a peritrophic matrix rich in chitin fibrils, associated with proteins that form multiple resistant layers with gelatinous consistency, with several functions, including the mechanical...

The cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.), is an important insect of stored grains with a worldwide distribution. The effect of six chickpea cultivars namely Adel, Azad, Azkan, Hashem, Goksu, and Mansour on the life history, population growth, and reproduction parameters of C. maculatus was investigated in the laboratory at 30 ± 2 oC, 60 ± 5...

Oxelytrum discicolle is a necrophagous beetle occurring in Central and South America, with potential use in forensic entomology for investigations in the context of legal medicine. The present work aimed to describe the morphology of the digestive tract of larvae and adults and contributes to the knowledge about the digestion associated with necrop...

The parasitoid Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), entomopathogenic fungi, and chemical insecticides are the main strategies to manage the eucalypts pest Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore. The objective of this study was to isolate and to identify entomopathogenic fungi, collected from Bemisia tabaci Gennadius adults in soybean and to...

About 46% of the native area of the Brazilian Cerrado, one of the main biodiversity hotspots in the world, are converted to pasture or agricultural crops. The objective of this study was to determine the diversity of species of two gerena of Saturniidae (Lepidoptera) in Cerrado of State of Maranão, Brazil. It was choosed genera Titaea and Arsenura...

Information on the occurrence and damage by Saissetia oleae (Olivier) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) on Olea europaea L. (Oleaceae) plants is scarce. Saissetia oleae is a sucking insect and its feeding on the phloem affects the photosynthetic apparatus of cells. The objective of this research was to evaluate the occurrence and to determine the effect of S....

Although phosphides are utilized in stored pest control, efforts have been made to discover environmentally friendly insecticides. For insecticidal properties, essential oils (EOs) are considered to be novel alternatives for pesticide use. This study characterized the Origanum vulgare EO by gas chromatography–flame ionization detector (GC–FID) × ga...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this work was to investigate the potential use of zinc‐dithiocarbimate salts to control Hemileia vastatrix, the causal agent of the coffee leaf rust disease, and to evaluate their toxicity towards Apis mellifera, one of the most important coffee plant pollinators. RESULTS Zinc‐dithiocarbimate salts were prepared and fully...

Background Gonipterus platensis Marelli (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is the main defoliating beetle of Eucalyptus L’Hér. (Myrtaceae) plants worldwide. The suitability of Eucalyptus to this pest varies among host plant genotypes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the development, reproduction, and survival of G. platensis on Eucalyptus spec...