José Cola Zanuncio

Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV) | UFV · Departamento de Entomologia

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...

The ground beetle, Neoaulacoryssus speciosus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is of high relevance to field because it has been recorded as a pest of seeds and young plants of vegetables and other crops and a predator in agricultural crops, forest and weeds in Brazil. However, natural habitat changes are increasing agriculture and forest insect outbreaks in...

Selectivity is an important aspect of modern insecticides to be able to target pests whilst maintaining beneficial entomofauna in the crop. The present objective was to assess the selectivity of different insecticides for the pupal parasitoid of soybean caterpillars, i.e., Trichospilus diatraeae Cherian & Margabandhu, 1942 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)...

Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius, 1775) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is the main post-harvest pest of Vigna unguiculata. The objective was to evaluate the fumigant activity of Ocimum basilicum essential oil and its major components linalool and estragole, on C. maculatus, through the evaluation of toxicity, oviposition inhibition, instantaneous r...

The manufacture of wood panels generates a large amount of waste. This material can be an option for renewable energy generation. However, long-term storage, exposure to moisture and contact of these panels with the soil facilitate colonization by xylophagous organisms. Torrefaction, a heat treatment between 200 and 300 °C in an oxygen-free atmosph...

The Atlantic Forest is one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots and environmental impacts has made its landscape fragmented and heterogeneous. The heterogeneity of the fragments is a challenge for the characterization and quantification of forest resources, such as the stock of biomass and carbon. Methodologies based on remote sensing have...

Sapindus saponaria L. (Sapindaceae) is a pioneer species used in programs to recover degraded areas. The trees also assist in the pest control of some insects due to the composition of saponins on their leaves. In addition, these chemical components are important to pharmaceutical product production. The objective was to evaluate the impact of spat...

The Atlantic Forest is a threatened biodiversity hotspot. Anthropogenic and environmental factors affect this biodiversity, including floristics and, consequently, the seed dispersal syndrome. The objective was to evaluate the influence of environmental factors on floristic composition, seed dispersal syndrome and potential for wild fauna refuge, e...

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...

The level of human-induced disturbance and forest fragment size affect the distribution and composition of tree species in Amazonian forest fragments. The severity of disturbance can be better understood by analyzing floristic and phytosociological parameters of tree communities in forest fragments. We seek to find what are the differences between...

In Brazil, genetically modified cotton is increasing in most cultivated areas to manage insects, mainly Lepidoptera. Pests associated with cotton crops are diverse. Aphis gossypii Glover, 1877 (Hemiptera: Aphididae), one of the most important cotton pests, sucks photoassimilates from the phloem sap causing mold growth and damage to plant tissues. T...

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 agricultural sector is essential for economic growth, especially for the poor in developing countries. This study investigated the degree of susceptibility, coping capacity, and adaptive capacity of agricultural establishments in Brazil to assess their vulnerability to climate change. Different databases were used, relating socio-environmental,...

Colony defense by social wasps includes aggressive behavior and camouflage with a high diversity of adaptation of their nests to the environment, including substrate choice. The objective of this study was to present new data on nesting and colony defense by the Neotropical social wasps Metapolybia cingulata and Metapolybia docilis (Hymenoptera: Ve...

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...

Bedellia somnulentella (Zeller 1847) (Lepidoptera: Bedelliidae) is an invasive pest in Ipomoea batatas (Convolvulaceae)-producing regions in the tropics. Plants of this family are important, ecologically and economically, and favorable for the survival and proliferation of this pest. The objective was to register new host plants of the Convolvulace...

Cultivation of species of the genus Eucalyptus is important for the Brazilian economy, with 6.97 million hectares planted. Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae), detected in Brazil in 2003, has dispersed and now damages Eucalyptus crops in all regions of this country. The location and identification of entomopathogenic fungi isolat...

Teak wood has chemical compounds that can be used for pharmaceutical and textile industries, in addition, this compounds are related to resistance to biodeterioration, color and modification processes. Heartwood and sapwood of T. grandis (teak), 15 years-old, were characterized by Py-CG/MS analysis and syringyl (S)/guaiacyl (G) ratio was evaluated....

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 egg parasitoid Anaphes nitens (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) parasitizes the Eucalyptus snout‐beetle Gonipterus platensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), one of the main defoliating beetles of Eucalyptus. Outbreaks of this pest are being recorded in areas with low parasitism rates by A. nitens. Endosymbiont bacteria can affect the reproductive character...

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...

Parasitoids control insect pests, but their number per host affects their efficiency. The objective of this work was to evaluate the best density of Tetrastichus howardi (Olliff, 1893) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) individuals parasitizing fourth instar Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) larvae in greenhouse conditions. The...

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....

The sucking insect, Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae), is originally from Australia and reduces the productivity of Eucalyptus crops. The parasitoid Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is the main agent used in the integrated management of G. brimblecombei. Endosymbionts, in insects, are important in the adapt...

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...

The improvement of techniques for the mass rearing of predators in the laboratory, including the age of mating is important to obtain the largest number of individuals for biological control programs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the females’ fecundity of the predator Podisus fuscescens (Dallas, 1851) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) with dif...

The calla lily ornamental plant (Zantedeschia aethiopica) is grown and marketed in many countries. Studies on daily variation in photosynthesis are critical for understanding how a plant behaves in its growing environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the daily photosynthetic course of calla lily plants grown in pots in a greenhouse...

The nutrient stress hypothesis predicts that galling insects prevail on host plants growing in habitats with soils of low nutritional quality. Caryocar brasiliense (Caryocaraceae) is host to four different leaf-galling insects. These insects have the potential to cause a reduction in the production of C. brasiliense fruits, an important source of i...

Palmistichus elaeisis Delvare and LaSalle 1993 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and neem oil are two control alternatives for the integrated management of defoliating lepidopterans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute and chronic toxicity of neem oil compared to the synthetic insecticide deltamethrin, on the endoparasitoid P. elaeisis, in gene...

Teak wood has a high market value, being used for the manufacture of furniture, naval industry and others. Its wood presents high dimensional stability, resistance to xylophagous organisms and important phytochemical and pharmacological chemical compounds, which can enhance the use of its wood in the pharmaceutical industry. Color differences betwe...

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...

The top grafting technique can make early flowering possible and consequently accelerate self-pollination in Eucalyptus breeding, reducing the period of each generation. This study aims to establish a methodology to top graft by applying the growth regulator paclobutrazol in self-pollinated Eucalyptus genotypes to induce early flowering and acceler...

Background: The purpose of this work was to investigate the potential use of zinc-dithiocarbimate salts to control of 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 an...

Invasive grasses reduce resource availability, mainly nutrients in the soil, and the growth of eucalyptus plants. Efficient management to increase productivity depends on understanding levels of weed interference in eucalyptus plantations. The nutritional efficiency of eucalyptus plants in competition has been evaluated by plant tissue analysis. Th...

Plant species, monitoring measures, and alternative fertilization with sewage sludge accelerate recovering of degraded areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the numbers of leaves/branch and branches/plant of Sapindus saponaria L., the ground cover by this plant and the ecological indexes of abundance, diversity, and species richness of...

Fipronil has been widely used in agriculture and forestry in Brazil to control several pests. However, this insecticide may be hazardous to non-target organisms, including stingless bees, which are essential pollinators of crops and natural environments. Here, we investigated the effect of 24-h acute oral exposure to LC50 of fipronil on the Malpigh...

Tetradesmus is a microalgal genus with biotechnological potential due to its rapid production of biomass, which is plenty in proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and bioactives. However, its morphology and physiology need to be determined to guide better research to optimize the species cultivation and biocompounds processing. Thus, this study describe...

Leaf-cutting ants are the main group of insect pests in Brazilian forest plantations, and their nests can be visually identified in remotely sensed images. This study compares two distinct pattern recognition methodologies, each with different computational costs, for detecting and measuring leaf-cutting ant (LCA) nests in RGB images acquired by un...

The area of planted forests in Brazil, a world reference in technology, is approximately 9.0 million hectares, mainly to produce raw material for paper and cellulose, coal, and furniture. The Brazilian pulp industry produced 19.7 million tons in 2019, 75% of which exported, in addition to 10.5 million tons of paper. Forestry activity creates jobs a...

Ants prey on social wasps affecting the evolution of nest architecture, defense behaviors, and selection of nesting sites of these insects. The importance of social wasps in natural and agricultural ecosystems, especially in biological control, justifies studies on predation of these insects by ants. The objective of this work is to report the colo...

Defoliation by leaf-cutting ants alters the physiological processes of plants, and this de-foliation can be inferred from satellite imagery used to identify plant injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the spectral pattern of defoliation by leaf-cutting ants in euca-lyptus plants on a pixel level using unsupervised machine learning techniq...

Scolytinae species that, in high populations, can damage reducing wood production in forest crops. These beetles are monitored with traps baited with ethanol and increasing their efficiency can improve the integrated management of these insects. The objective was to evaluate the increase in the capture efficiency of Scolytinae with a semi-funnel tr...

Forest restoration is mainly based on plant-soil relationships and plant species with economic potential, but those between insects and other arthropods are also important to this reestablishment. The objective was to evaluate, during 24 months, the relationships between tending ants, Hemiptera phytophagous, predators and their distribution pattern...

The global search for eco-friendly and human-safe pesticides has intensified, and research on essential oils (EOs) has expanded due to their remarkable insecticidal activities and apparent human-safe. Despite this, most of the literature focuses on short-term and simplified efforts to understand lethal effects, with only a few comprehensive studies...

The use of predatory Hemiptera (Pentatomidae: Asopinae) in agroecosystems has increased considerably in the last decades. All Asopinae representatives are obligate predatory stink bugs but they are classified as zoophytophagous because they feed on prey and occasionally feed on plants. They prey on wide variety of insects including the agricultural...

Leaf-cutting ants (genera Acromyrmex, Amoimyrmex and Atta) are the most important generalist herbivores in the Neotropical Region. The subspecies of Acromyrmex subterraneus are morphologically similar but differing from the other species of this genus. Acromyrmex subterraneus complex may be three non-described leaf-cutting ant species. The taxonomi...

The availability of phosphorus (P) and organic matter in Chromic Luvisols, predominant in the Caatinga biome, is generally low and makes it difficult to reintroduce native plants in forest recovery projects. The objective was to evaluate the production of dry mass, accumulation a and use efficiency of P by three tree species native from Caatinga bi...

Galling insects are abundant in nature, found in many ecosystems globally, with species attacking plants of economic importance. We studied the effects of free-feeding organisms on the abundance of galling insects on Caryocar brasiliense (Caryocaraceae) trees in the Brazilian Cerrado (Savanna). Percentage of defoliation and the number of phytophago...

The total area of forest crops in Brazil is 9.55 million hectares, of which 7.5 million hectares are Eucalyptus. These crops are the most productive in the world, but may suffer losses due to exotic pests, including Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) found in Brazil since 2003. Interactions between Eucalyptus plants and insect p...

The polyphagy of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) renders its control difficult because variations in the phenology of host plants grown in different seasons of the year and near each other can facilitate the movement of this pest between crops. The objective of this work was to examine certain biological characteristics of S. frugipe...