Raul Alberto Laumann

• DR
• Researcher at Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA)

The small black stem bug, Paratibraca (= Glyphepomis) spinosa (Campos and Grazia 1998), is a rice pest in Brazil and is part of a complex of stink bugs that includes Oebalus poecilus (Dallas) and Tibraca limbativentris Stål. Together, these pentatomid species pose a serious threat to rice crops throughout South America. In this study, we identified...

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of sublethal exposure to the insecticides malathion and beta-cyfluthrin on the pheromone perception and emission by the cotton boll weevil ( Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)). The potential impact of such sublethal exposure on this species population growth was als...

Land use change threaten global biodiversity, impacting ecosystem services, especially in diverse tropical regions. Yet, biodiversity conservation does not guarantee ecosystem services provision, given species’ variable responses to local and landscape factors. Here, we evaluate how the landscape and local resources affect parasitoid diversity and...

Full-text access to a view-only version at https://rdcu.be/dTBze Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are the main pests of a variety of agricultural crops around the world. Usually, a large amount of hazardous pesticides are used to control them, and biological control exerted by natural enemies represents a promising alternative. The improvement...

Cetoniidae (Coleoptera), known as flower and fruit beetles, form a diverse group, feed on nectar, pollen, plant exudates, and are highly attracted to fermented fruits. To evaluate their diversity in natural and agricultural areas, traps baited with fermented fruits are used. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of various ty...

BACKGROUND Plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a crucial role in mediating interactions between plants, herbivores and natural enemies. Among these VOCs, methyl salicylate and (E,E)‐α‐farnesene are emitted as herbivore‐induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) by soybean plants in response to feeding by the brown stink bug Eushistus heros. These HIP...

The use of Meliponini for crop pollination in protected environments is practically non-existent. One of the reasons is the difficulty of acclimatizing Meliponini to the temperature and light conditions inside greenhouses. We investigated how covering materials used in greenhouses, which filter different intensities of ultraviolet (UV) light, affec...

Wasps are important parasitoids of stinkbugs and frequently exposed to various types of microorganisms through environmental contact and fecal–oral transmission route. Many parasitize stinkbug eggs and are commercially used in the field to control insect population. The parasitoid T. podisi is known for its high parasitism capacity and ability to t...

Stink bug egg parasitoids (Scelionidae) use several host and non-host chemical and physical cues to find suitable hosts. These cues can interact in the field producing multimodal stimuli, which can be manipulated to increase parasitoid attraction and biological control of stink bugs in conservation biological control strategies. We aimed to investi...

The simplification of the agricultural landscape affects trophic interactions, impacting on biological pest control. On a field scale, this ecological service can be affected by the presence of natural enemies in the landscape, which move between patches in search of resources spread over time and space. We evaluated the influence of the landscape...

Sternochetus mangiferae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an important pest of mango trees around the world. This work aimed to investigate the reproductive behavior, stridulatory communication and describe the stridulatory apparatus and basic mechanism of signal emission in this species. This knowledge may facilitate the development of monitoring and...

Many animals lay their eggs in clusters. Eggs on the periphery of clusters can be at higher risk of mortality. We asked whether the most commonly occurring clutch sizes in pentatomid bugs could result from geometrical arrangements that maximize the proportion of eggs in the cluster’s interior. Although the most common clutch sizes do not correspond...

The lady beetles Tenuisvalvae notata (Mulsant) and Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (both Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), are used in biological control of mealybugs in many countries, including Brazil. As individuals of these species walk on plant surfaces, they leave chemical footprints that can affect their interactions with conspecifics, as well a...

Plants respond indirectly to herbivore injury in a species‐specific way and emit a specific blend of volatiles that are attractive to the enemies of herbivores. We evaluated whether maize plants, Zea mays L. (Poaceae), can recognize herbivory damage from a generalist stink bug, Diceraeus (Dichelops) melacanthus Dallas (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Thi...

Tenuisvalvae notata, native to South America and Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, native to Australia are ladybeetle predators of mealybugs. They can encounter and interact with each other while foraging; however, the outcomes of these interactions are not known. To address this knowledge gap, we studied how conspecific and heterospecific encounters infl...

A silicon cantilever coated with PANI.Ag film was used as a sensor of synthetic solutions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by stink bugs and blends of VOCs released by males and females of Euschistus heros and Diceraeus melacanthus . The frequency shifts of the gas sensor due to the adsorption of the VOCs under investigation were m...

Diceraeus melacanthus Dallas, (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a polyphagous stink bug that has been reported to be an important pest in maize and soybean. Control of this herbivore in crops is achieved using insecticides. Use of companion plants to control and manage herbivores in crop areas has been proposed, but there are still few systems that have...

Natural predators of agricultural pests are known to help increase crop yields and are considered an alternative to chemical insecticides. We investigated the role of the gracile mouse opossum Gracilinanus agilis for controlling a soybean pest, the brown stink bug Euschistus heros. We tested the hypothesis that this bug disperses to natural forest...

Following oviposition, females of many fruit flies deposit on the fruit surface a host‐marking pheromone (HMP) that can deter oviposition by conspecifics and heterospecifics, thereby minimizing overexploitation of hosts. We describe the oviposition behaviour of two economically important fruit flies (Anastrepha fraterculus and Ceratitis capitata) i...

Host–parasitoid interactions may have a relevant role not only in ecological processes but also in human procedures such as biological control and the management of invasive species. Although the Drosophila–parasitoid system has been widely used for investigating all aspects of host–parasitoid relationships, it is still poorly understood in tropica...

Pentatomidae is one of the largest families among Heteroptera. Because of their general phytophagous habit and wide host plant spectrum, many species of stink bugs are serious agricultural pests. Behavioral manipulation of stink bugs could offer a new strategy for stink bug management based in biorational tools. Reproductive behavior of stink bugs...

Many animals lay their eggs in clusters. Eggs on the periphery of clusters can be at higher risk of mortality. We asked whether the most commonly occurring clutch sizes in pentatomid bugs could result from geometrical arrangements that maximize the proportion of eggs in the cluster's interior. Although the most common clutch sizes do not correspond...

Plants are equipped with various defensive attributes against herbivores, including volatile and nonvolatile compounds. In maize plants, benzoxazinoids mediate resistance against some herbivores, with the most abundant being (2 R )‐2‐β‐D‐glucopyranosyloxy‐4‐hydroxy‐7‐methoxy‐2H‐1,4‐benzoxazin−3(4H)‐one (DIMBOA‐Glc), and its corresponding aglucone 2...

Spectroscopy is essential to understand a series of phenomena in multiple fields of study. In remote sensing, vegetation analysis is one of the most prominent fields to explore, aiming to improve a specific task. As a task, modeling insect damage in the plants is essential to establish the correct management of agricultural farmlands. Hyperspectral...

The Spodoptera frugiperda (i.e., fall armyworm) causes irreversible damage in cotton cultivars, and its visual inspection on plants is a burdensome task for humans. A recent strategy to automatically do similar tasks is processing hyperspectral reflectance measurements with machine learning algorithms. Herein, its proposed a framework for modeling...

Plants emit a wide array of complex blends of volatile organic compounds that can be involved in plant communication with herbivores and their natural enemies. Bracon vulgaris Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a gregarious larval ectoparasitoid that attacks the boll weevil larvae, Anthonomus grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), an import...

Cedar (Cedrela fissilis) is a major timber species native to South America that has suffered frequent impacts from illegal harvesting. Cultivation efforts have experienced recurrent failures due to the action of the mahogany shoot borer Hypsipyla grandella, which, when attacking the plants in the first years of growth, inflicts negative effects on...

To attain sustainable agricultural crop protection, tools such as host plant resistance, enhanced ecosystem services (i.e. conserving natural enemies) and the deployment of companion plants should be promoted in pest management programmes. These agro system manipulations could be based on chemical ecology studies considering the interactions with n...

Accurately detecting the insect damage caused in plants might reduce losses in crop yields. Hyperspectral data is a well-accepted data source to attend this issue. However, due to their high dimensional, both robust and intelligent methods are required to extract information from these datasets. Therefore, we explore the processing of hyperspectral...

Plants influenced the evolution of plant-dwelling stink bugs’ systems underlying communication with chemical and substrate-borne vibratory signals. Plant volatiles provides cues that increase attractiveness or interfere with the probability of finding a mate in the field. Mechanical properties of herbaceous hosts and associated plants alter the fre...

Stink bugs communicate while mating on a plant by means of the substrate-borne component of the species and sex-specific calling, courtship and rival signals, produced by vibration of the abdomen. Courtship conducted over a close visual distance, chemical contact and mechanical exchange of information terminates in copulation. Here we describe char...

Sound waves are a prime component making up the environment, and they are present in almost all niches on the planet. In times of increasing noise pollution, the effect of sound stress on humans, animals, and microorganisms is well known. However, the possibility of this kind of pressure in the environment, affecting pathogenic fungi, which live in...

Priming is an induced defence mechanism in which plants that have been exposed to elicitors, such as herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs), go into an alert state with faster and stronger responses against a future biotic challenge. This study evaluated whether HIPVs emitted by maize genotypes after herbivory by fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugip...

In cotton cultivars, an insect that causes irreversible damage is the Spodoptera frugiperda, known as the fall armyworm. Since the visual detection of plants is a burdensome task for human inspection, the spectral information related to plant damage, registered on a spectral scale, can be useful. These measurements, associated with machine learning...

A strategy to reduce qualitative and quantitative losses in crop-yields refers to early and accurate detection of insect-damage caused in plants. Remote sensing systems like hyperspectral proximal sensors are a promising strategy for managing crops. In this aspect, machine learning predictions associated with clustering techniques may be an interes...

Stink bugs are major pests in diverse crops around the world. Pest management strategies based on insect behavioral manipulation could help to develop biorational management strategies of stink bugs. Insect mating disruption using vibratory signals is an approach with high potential for pest management. The objective of this work was to investigate...

The rice stalk stink bug, Tibraca limbativentris Stål, is an important rice pest in Brazil, causing significant damage to rice plants and consequently yield losses, with a high invasive potential in Mexico and USA. The male-produced sex pheromone of this species was recently identified as a 7:3 mixture of (3S,6S,7R)-1,10-bisaboladien-3-ol (1) and (...

In 2021 we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Neotropical Entomology journal, formerly known as Anais da Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil (ASEB). Since the publication of the first issue in 1972, the scope of ASEB has been the dissemination of original research in entomology generated, in particular, in Brazil. Later, it expanded greatly to the Neot...

Trichogramma species (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) are known to use the host’s sex pheromone as a kairomone in foraging strategies. Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) deposit scales on eggs during oviposition, which may be a mechanical barrier or facilitate the action of parasitoids due to the presence of semiochemicals. This s...

Main conclusion Cotton genotypes displayed similar volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles, but major differences in terpenoid aldehyde (TA) content. The differences in VOC production were minor among genotypes, but these differences are crucial for boll weevil attraction. Weevils did not display any preference in feeding behaviour towards cotton...

Invasive stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are responsible for high economic losses to agriculture on a global scale. The most important species, dating from recent to old invasions, include Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister), Halyomorpha halys (Stål), Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood), Nezara viridula (L.), and Murgantia histrionica (Hahn). Bagrada hil...

The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus Panzer (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is the most important pest in poultry production systems worldwide. Adults and larvae serve as alternative low-quality food for chickens and as a vehicle for animal pathogens resulting in significant economic losses for farmers. Control of this pest is usually performed...

Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) is the most important egg parasitoid of Euschistus heros (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), and its successful parasitism is related to their searching ability to find suitable hosts under a complex chemical environment using host-reliable cues. Thus, the objective of this study was to elucida...

Tritrophic interactions mediated by semiochemicals have been intensively studied from the viewpoint of ecological relationships with Nearctic tritrophic organisms. However, there are few studies involving interactions with different herbivores on the same host plant in Neotropical systems. The objective of the current study was to investigate the e...

The rice stalk stink bug, Tibraca limbativentris, is an important rice pest in Brazil with a high invasive potential for Mexico and the USA. The sex pheromone of this species was previously identified as a combination of two stereoisomers of 1,10-bisaboladien-3-ol (zingiberenol), but the absolute configurations of these sesquiterpenes were not dete...

This review represents complex mechanisms and processes of multimodal communication in stink bugs. During reproductive behavior the airborne and substrate-borne signals enable mate recognition, mediate directionality of movement, eliminate rivals and motivate partners for copulation. Species specific characteristics prevent hybridization at various...

Chemical trails of the hosts (footprints) are important cues for the host searching behaviour of egg parasitoids of the family Scelionidae. The present study aims to determine the influence of the footprints of three neotropical stink bugs (Euchistus heros, Dichelops melacanthus and Nezara viridula) on the foraging behaviour of two parasitoids, Tri...

Extensive field research of stinkbug (Pentatomidae: Heteroptera) biology, ecology, feeding habits and communication revealed that reproductive behaviour is a complex process that needs integrative studies in the field and laboratory at different levels. The general model of group mating behaviour includes long-range communication in the field with...

This volume is a self-contained companion piece to Studying Vibrational Communication, published in 2014 within the same series. The field has expanded considerably since then, and has even acquired a name of its own: biotremology. In this context, the book reports on new concepts in this fascinating discipline, and features chapters on state-of-t...

The effect of different diets on the performance of nymphs and adults of Chinavia impicticornis (Stål, 1872) was studied, as well as the effect of switching diets from nymph to adult stages. Three diets were used to rear the insects (d1) 10 green bean pods of Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) plus a mixture of soybean [Glycine max (L.)] and sunflower [Helian...

The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is currently a major threat to coffee crops around the world. Although some studies have identified host-derived volatile organic compounds as attractant semiochemicals for H. hampei, the chemical composition reported in the literature is quite variable a...

In Brazil, implementation of integrated pest management in the mid-1970s until the mid-1990s allowed to develop one of the most robust tropical agriculture systems in the world. However, at the beginning of this century, the intensification of the no-tillage cultivation system combined with multiple crops cultivated in a rotation system provided fo...

Multimodal communication in solitary stinkbugs enables them to meet, mate and copulate. Many plant‐dwelling species exchange information during the calling phase of mating behavior using substrate‐borne vibratory signals. A female‐biased gender ratio induces rivalry and competition for a sexual partner. Female competition for males, first described...

Insect-derived volatiles seem to provide reliable chemical cues that plants could employ to defend themselves. Here we investigated the effect of pheromone emission from a closely associated (Anthonomus grandis; boll weevil) and an unassociated (Tibraca limbativentris) herbivore on cotton volatile emission. Exposure to A. grandis aggregation pherom...

‘Smart’ plants that release volatile defence compounds in response to pest damage, and which recruit beneficial natural enemies, offer an opportunity for exploiting biological control in future crop protection strategies. Using six maize genotypes, Zapalote Chico (‘landrace’), Mirt2A, Sintético Spodoptera (SS), L3, and two commercial hybrids BRS 41...

Over the last 50 yr, the geographical distribution of soybean crop production in Brazil has expanded from the southern region to Maranhão state in the north. We evaluated if this latitudinal expansion affected the community of stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and their parasitoids. The fauna of stink bugs and their adult parasitoids were studie...

Highlight: We provide the first example of plant indirect defence induced by insect pheromone: cotton perceives the pheromone of its closely-associated herbivore and activates its indirect defence, resulting in the attraction of the boll weevil's natural enemy. Abstract Insect-derived volatiles seem to provide reliable chemical cues, thereby plants...

In this work, we tested whether variations in temporal pattern and architecture of the vibratory signals favor signals recognition and discrimination in two stinkbug species, Chinavia ubica and C. impicticornis. To relate the level of species recognition with species-specific vibratory signal we exposed males to natural or artificial signals. Diffe...

Two stink bug-resistant soybean cultivars, Dowling and IAC 100, and one sucepible, Silvânia were selected to evaluate their influence on Euschistus heros development. Evaluation of the biology of E. heros was conducted on nymph development, adult longevity, female fecundity and egg fertility in seeds of each cultivar. The results showed that E. her...

BACKGROUND The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is the most important insect pest affecting poultry production around the world, with all life stages being susceptible to infection by bacteria, viruses and fungi. Control of A. diaperinus in poultry houses using intensive insecticide application is not effective d...

Phytophagous insects rely on plant volatiles to locate suitable hosts upon which to feed or oviposit. The boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, is the main pest on cotton crops in the Neotropical region and is attracted to host plant volatiles, especially herbivore-induced volatiles from reproductive cotton. Behavioral and electrophysiological responses...

Stink bugs are key pests around the world. The principal method for managing these pests is the use of broad-spectrum insecticides. However, disrupting sexual communication could also be a biorational alternative for pest management. In this study, pure tone vibrations, mechanically transmitted to plants, were tested for their potential to disrupt...

Plants interact with multiple organisms throughout their life cycle. As a result, they are commonly attacked by multiple species of herbivores, leading to the induction of plant defence systems. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) play an important role in the interaction between community members and can be used to manipulate insect pest beh...

Em função do impacto econômico causado pela presença do cascudinho-dos-aviários Alphitobius diaperinus nos sistemas de produção industrial, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar uma estratégia “atrai-infecta” para o manejo e controle desta praga em aviários comerciais. Para isto utilizou-se armadilhas iscadas com o feromônio de agregação produzido...

Diaphorina citri is a vector of the bacterial causative agent of Huanglongbing (HLB = Citrus greening), a severe disease affecting citrus crops. As there is no known control for HLB, manipulating insect behaviour through deployment of semiochemicals offers a promising opportunity for protecting citrus crops. The behavioural responses of D. citri to...

The objective of this work was to identify and carry out a field testing of the sex pheromone composition of the mahogany shoot borer, Hypsipyla grandella, from a population in Southern Brazil. Abdominal glands of H. grandella females were excised and extracted using n-hexane; the gland extracts were analysed by gas chromatography (GC-FID and GC-MS...

In the field, male pheromone attracts stink bugs to meet on the same plant and triggers females to call a male by the emission of the calling song. As first among Pentatomidae we describe female rivalry in Chinavia impicticornis, C. ubica and Euschistus heros. Rivalry starts in C. impicticornis by synchronized exchange of the first type of the fema...

The objective of this work was to evaluate the reproductive behavior and response of Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Zeller) males to calling females. Frequency of mating was recorded in couples during the first 7 days of the adult stage. Calling behavior of females was observed during the first 4 days of the adult stage and responses of males, in the sa...

Introdução Ao longo da evolução, as plantas desenvolveram sofisticados sistemas de defe-sa para vencer os estresses bióticos (herbívoros e patógenos) e abióticos (déficit hídrico, temperaturas extremas, salinidade do solo, nutrientes, entre outros). O sistema defensivo das plantas pode ser dividido em constitutivo e induzido. O constitutivo, como o...

Social wasps in the Polybia genus are important for use as pest-control agents in agricultural systems. The objective of this study was to investigate the behavioural responses of Polybia fastidiosuscula Saussure (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) to volatiles from maize, both constitutive volatiles and those induced by the herbivory of Spodoptera frugiperda...

Olfactometry bioassays are useful for studying the behavioral responses of insects to volatiles of different sources: host or non-host plants, other insects or to synthetic blends. Data collection must reflect the insect behavior as it is affected by the sources of odor. The software SOLF (System for data acquisition in olfactometry bioassays) was...

Of the eight recognized subfamilies of stink bugs, only species of two subfamilies, Edessinae and Pentatominae, are serious crop pests. Because of their polyphagous feeding habits, stink bugs are serious pests in crops such as legumes, grasses, grains, vegetables and fruit and nut trees (Panizzi et al. (2000). In recent years, the incorporation of...

Communication is in phytophagous stink bugs of the subfamily Pentatominae related to mating behavior that among others includes location and recognition of the partner during calling and courting. Differences in temporal and frequency parameters of vibratory signals contributes to species reproductive isolation. Chinavia impicticornis and C. ubica...

Specialized natural enemies that forage for polyphagous hosts need to locate hosts on different plants. Telenomus podisi (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) is a stink bug egg parasitoid with a preference for Euschistus heros (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae), a polyphagous species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the induction of defences in three E. hero...

The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus Panzer 1797 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is a cosmopolitan insect pest affecting poultry production. Due to its cryptic behavior, insecticide control is usually not efficient. Thus, sustainable and effective methods would have an enormous and positive impact in poultry production. The aim of this study wa...

During host selection, physical and chemical stimuli provide important cues that modify search behaviours of natural enemies. We evaluated the influence of volatiles released by eggs and egg extracts of the stink bug Euschistus heros and by soybean plants treated with the eggs and egg extracts on Telenomus podisi foraging behaviour. Responses to vo...

The objective of this work was to identify the sex pheromone of Spodoptera cosmioides and to evaluate whether there is pheromone cross-attraction in Spodoptera sp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Spodoptera cosmioides gland extracts were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Wind tunnel and electrophysiology experiments were conducted to evaluate the role of gla...

The objective of this review was to summarize the current information about semiochemicals with potential to be applied in insect pest management in agroecosystems. One of the great challenges to Neotropical agriculture is to reduce the indiscriminate use of pesticides, which can be minimized by using semiochemicals, a tool that can be applied in t...

The objective of this work was to identify the sex pheromone of Spodoptera cosmioides and to evaluate whether there is pheromone cross-attraction in Spodoptera sp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Spodoptera cosmioides gland extracts were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Wind tunnel and electrophysiology experiments were conducted to evaluate the role of gla...

Previous studies have shown that the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, is attracted to constitutive and conspecific herbivore-induced cotton volatiles, preferring the blend emitted by cotton at the reproductive over the vegetative stage. Moreover, this preference was paralleled by the release of the acyclic homoterpenes (tetranorterpenes) (E)-4,8-di...