Use of Parasitoids as a Biocontrol Agent in the Neotropical Region: Challenges and Potential

The agricultural production in the Neotropical region is highly affected by the attack of pests and diseases. Due to the overuse of pesticides, sustainable methods of control are in demand, such as biological control. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) considered the use of Biological control as a method to suppress the population of pests in several field agricultural systems and in protected crops systems. Biological control is generally appreciated today as an important component of IPM, and the demand for it is likely to spread as the IPM programs develop worldwide. The tropics present an important region for the application of biological control. The Neotropical region is characterized by its rich biodiversity, resulting in a wide range of natural enemies of pests represented by parasitoids, predators, and pathogens. Parasitoids are the natural enemies most used around the world for biological control. In this chapter, we present biological control programs using parasitoids established in the Neotropical region to control key pests of economic importance. Agricultural practices that maintain and enhance the action of natural enemies in crops will be reviewed, as the challenges and potential for the establishment of Biological Control programs using parasitoids in the Neotropical region

Annotated supplements to catalogues of the family Scathophagidae (Diptera) in the world, with new taxonomic data, notes on some species and new list of species

The last catalogues of the species of the family Scathophagidae for the individual zoogeographical regions were published in the following years: for the Afrotropical Region in 1976; for the Nearctic Region in 1965; for the Neotropical Region in 1984 and, partly, in 2010; for the Oriental Region in 1977 and for Palaearctic Region in 2008. The changes or additions published since the last catalogue form four basic groups: (I) new genera described (5 in Nearctic Region, 1 in Oriental Region, 8 in Palaearctic Region), (II) new species described (4 in Nearctic Region, 4 in Oriental Region, and 51 in Palaearctic Region), (III) new established synonyms (2 in Afrotropical Region, 1 in Nearctic Region, 4 in Neotropical Region, 4 in Oriental Region, 22 in Palaearctic Region), and (IV) new proposed combinations (1 in Afrotropical Region, 6 in Nearctic Region, 3 in Neotropical Region, 14 in Palaearctic Region)

A distinctive new species of biting midge in the subgenus Euprojoannisia Brèthes from Mexico with new records of Neotropical species of Forcipomyia Meigen (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

A new species of biting midge, Forcipomyia (Euprojoannisia) bibaana, is described and illustrated from an adult male collected in the state Oaxaca, Mexico. The first records of Forcipomyia (E.) mortuifolii Saunders, F. (Lasiohelea) cornuta Saunders and F. (L.) stylifer (Lutz) are provided from Mexico as well as the first record of F. (L.) anitae Huerta & Ibáñez-Bernal from Guatemala.Fil: Huerta, Herón. Laboratorio de Entomología; MéxicoFil: Spinelli, Gustavo Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Limnología ; Argentin

Ciliados (Protozoa) de sedimentos secos de una charca temporaria de la Argentina

Temporary ponds represent special environments that are inhabited by organisms adapted to changing environmental conditions. Ciliates are able to survive complete loss of water in these transient habitats through cyst formation. Nevertheless, ciliates from the Neotropical region in general have been poorly studied through the use of modern techniques. The main goal of this study is to describe the ciliates developing in dried sediments of a temporary pond from the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina through samplings that were performed during the period 2003-2005. Soil samples were obtained during drought phases and rewetted in laboratory, in order to establish raw and enriched cultures. Ciliates were then studied both in vivo and after  impregnation with protargol. In this study, we present four new records for Argentina (Gonostomum affine (Stein, 1859) Sterki, 1878, Stylonychia bifaria (Stokes, 1887) Berger, 1999, Pleurotricha lanceolata (Ehrenberg, 1835) Stein, 1859, Meseres  corlissi Petz and Foissner, 1992), one more for South America (Blepharisma americanum (Suzuki, 1954) Hirshfield, Isquith and Bhandary, 1965), and two for the Neotropical Realm (Gonostomum strenuum (Engelmann, 1862) Sterki, 1878, Stylonychia lemnae Ammermann and Schlegel, 1983).Los cuerpos de agua temporarios son ambientes particulares que se encuentran habitados por organismos adaptados a condiciones fl uctuantes. Los ciliados son capaces de sobrevivir a la pérdida completa de agua del ambiente gracias a la formación de estructuras de resistencia. Por otra parte, los ciliados de la región Neotropical han sido poco investigados con técnicas modernas. El objetivo de este estudio es referir los ciliados que se desarrollaron a partir de los sedimentos secos de una charca temporaria de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, en la que se realizaron muestreos durante el período 2003-2005. Las muestras de suelo fueron obtenidas durante las fases de sequía y luego resuspendidas en el laboratorio para realizar cultivos naturales y enriquecidos. Los ciliados fueron estudiados in vivo y luego de la impregnación argéntica con protargol. En este trabajo se presentan 4 nuevos registros de especies para la fauna de ciliados de la Argentina (Gonostomum affi ne (Stein, 1859) Sterki, 1878, Stylonychia bifaria (Stokes, 1887) Berger, 1999, Pleurotricha lanceolata (Ehrenberg, 1835) Stein, 1859, Meseres corlissi Petz and Foissner, 1992), 1 para América del Sur (Blepharisma americanum (Suzuki, 1954) Hirshfi eld, Isquith and Bhandary, 1965) y 2 para la región Neotropical (Gonostomum strenuum (Engelmann, 1862) Sterki, 1878, Stylonychia lemnae Ammermann and Schlegel, 1983).Fil: Kuppers, Gabriela Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Claps, Maria Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Lopretto, Estela Celia. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

New freshwater sponges from Amazonian waters

Four species of freshwater sponges have their first register of occurrence for Amazonian waters upon specimens collected from Culuene and Sete de Setembro Rivers (Xingú basin), Tapirapés River (Araguaia basin) and Cuieiras River. Trochospongilla pennsylvanica (POTTS 1882) and Trochospongilla variabilis BONETTO & EZCURRA DE DRAGO (1973) occurred as minute specimens inside large sponges of the genus Metania GRAY (1867) or of the genus Drulia GRAY (1867). T. pennsylvanica has its first register of occurrence for the Neotropical region. Spongilla spoliata n. sp. resembles Spongilla inarmata ANNADALE (1918) and Spongilla aspinosa POTTS (1880) but is readily separated from these two species on account of the characteristic spines on its microscleres. Radiospongilla amazonensis n. sp. differs from its congeners by the particular characteristics of its megascleres and gemmoscleres

Labrundinia separata: redescripción de adultos y descripción de inmaduros (Diptera: Chironomidae: Tanypodinae)

Se redescriben e ilustran los adultos macho y hembra, y se describen los inmaduros de Labrundinia separata (Edwards). Los ejemplares estudiados fueron colectados como inmaduros en los bosques de Notophagus del norte de la Patagonia Argentina y criados, hasta adultos, en laboratorio. Esta especie es comparada con sus congéneres más similares.Adults male and female of Labrundinia separata (Edwards), and the immatures are described and illustrated. The studied specimens were collected as immatures in the Notophagus forest of northern Argentinean Patagonia, and reared to adult in laboratory. The species is compared with the most similar cogeners.Fil: Siri, Augusto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Limnología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Donato, Mariano Humberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Limnología; Argentin

Colonization of a Neotropical Reservoir (Córdoba, Argentina) by Ceratium hirundinella (O. F. Müller) Bergh

Blooms of Ceratium hirundinella (O. F. Müller) Bergh. have been detected in different water bodies in the Neotropical Region since 1990. The colonization began in southern lakes, and during the last decade the dinoflagellate arrived and bloomed in subtropical reservoirs. In this context the colonization of C. hirundinella and its population development have been analyzed from its first record in the Río Tercero Reservoir (February 1999 to February 2001). Phytoplankton and physicochemical samples were obtained from three sampling stations at the Reservoir, one in the outlet of the water cooling channel of the nuclear power plant, and one in the nearest tributary (Quillinzo River). Two blooms of C. hirundinella were detected during the warm seasons with temperatures higher than 18°C, and pH ranging between 8.5 and 8.9. Environmental conditions such as certain light intensity range and percentage of dissolved oxygen mentioned as favorable for Ceratium development were always recorded in Río Tercero Reservoir. Cysts were observed in spring and summer months. Another dinoflagellate (Peridinium gatunense Nygaard) bloomed in previous summer in this water body but its population density decreased during the invasive phase of colonization of C. hirundinella. Asplanchna girodi, became the dominant zooplankter after the first bloom of C. hirundinella. We believe that the presence of this dinoflagellate in the Neotropical Region could be a regional phenomenon associated with some dispersal mechanisms and favorable local conditions for its proliferation like those recorded in the Rio Tercero ReservoirFil: Mac Donagh, María Elicia. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Casco, Maria Adela. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Claps, Maria Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Limnología; Argentin

Two new species of Neolindus from Peru and Venezuela (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Cylindroxystina).

Zwei Arten der Gattung Neolindus Scheerpeltz, 1933 werden beschrieben, abgebildet und von ähnlichen bzw. geographisch nahen Arten unterschieden: N. luciamans sp. n. (Peru: Provinz Huanuco) und N. brachati sp. n. (Venezuela: Provinz Carabobo). Neolindus rudiculus Herman, 1991 wird erstmals seit der Originalbeschreibung nachgewiesen.StichwörterColeoptera, Staphylinidae, Paederinae, Cylindroxystina, Neolindus, Neotropical region, taxonomy, new species.Nomenklatorische Handlungenbrachati Assing, 2012 (Neolindus), spec. nov.luciamans Assing, 2012 (Neolindus), spec. nov.Two species of Neolindus Scheerpeltz, 1933 are described, illustrated, and distinguished from similar and geographically close congeners: N. luciamans sp. n. (Peru: Huanuco province) and N. brachati sp. n. (Venezuela: Carabobo province). The first record of N. rudiculus Herman, 1991 since the original description is reported.KeywordsColeoptera, Staphylinidae, Paederinae, Cylindroxystina, Neolindus, Neotropical region, taxonomy, new species.Nomenclatural Actsbrachati Assing, 2012 (Neolindus), spec. nov.luciamans Assing, 2012 (Neolindus), spec. nov

A new species of Paraphysiana (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Neocoelidiinae) from French Guiana.

Eine neue Art der Gattung Paraphysiana Chiamolera, Cavichioli & Anderle (2003), P. marquescostae spec. nov., wird beschrieben und dargestellt. Die beschriebene Art kann von den anderen Arten der Gattung durch folgende Merkmale unterschieden werden: (1) letztes Abdominalsegment dorsal mit einem Paar innerer Fortsätze; (2) letztes Abdominalsegment ventral mit einem Paar innerer Fortsätze, die dorsal gekrümmt und apikal verdreht sind.StichwörterDescription, Neotropical Region, leafhopper, taxonomy.Nomenklatorische Handlungenmarquescostae Corrêa Gonçalves & Macharet Camisão, 2015 (Paraphysiana), spec. n.A new species of Paraphysiana Chiamolera, Cavichioli & Anderle (2003), P. marquescostae spec. nov., is described and illustrated. The new species can be distinguished from the other species of the genus by the following characteristics: (1) pygofer with a pair of inner dorsal processes; (2) pygofer with a pair of inner ventral processes are curved dorsally and twisted apically.KeywordsDescription, Neotropical Region, leafhopper, taxonomy.Nomenclatural Actsmarquescostae Corrêa Gonçalves & Macharet Camisão, 2015 (Paraphysiana), spec. n