Comportamento de larvas de Diabrotica speciosa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) em resposta ao CO2 e a plântulas de espécies cultivadas Behavioral responses of Diabrotica speciosa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) larvae to CO2 and seedlings of host plants

As respostas de larvas de Diabrotica speciosa (Germar) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) ao CO2 e o comportamento destas larvas quando expostas a plantas hospedeiras e não hospedeiras foram estudadas em laboratório. Larvas de primeiro ínstar de D. speciosa foram utilizadas. Num primeiro bioensaio, as larvas preferiram o tratamento com CO2, que foi gerado a partir da reação de bicarbonato de potássio com ácido acético em oposição a água destilada. Quando se observou o comportamento das larvas em relação a plantas hospedeiras, verificou-se que ocorreu um número significativamente maior de "mudanças de direção" em milho e milho pipoca do que em feijão, soja, trigo e sorgo. Este parâmetro foi inferior no sorgo em relação a todos os outros tratamentos. Valores similares foram verificados em milho pipoca e milho (26,2 e 24,2, respectivamente). Em relação a distância percorrida, foram verificadas maiores distâncias na aveia em comparação com milho pipoca, milho, feijão e sorgo. Após o contato das larvas com sorgo, elas não apresentaram comportamento de busca, pois a larva caía da plântula ou não se movia .<br>Responses of Diabrotica speciosa (Germar) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) larvae to CO2 and their behavior when exposed to host and non host plants were studied in the laboratory. First instar larvae of D. speciosa were used. In a first bioassay, larvae preferred the treatment with CO2, from the reaction of the potassium bicarbonate and acetic acid, in opposition to distillated water. When the behavior of the larvae was observed in response to host plants, a significant higher number of turns was found in corn and popcorn than in common beans, soybean, wheat and sorghum. Sorghum differed from all other treatments with a lower number of turns. Similar values were found in popcorn and corn. The greater distances ranged were found on oats in comparison to pop corn, corn, common beans and sorghum. After contact with sorghum seedlings larvae did not present searching behavior because they fell from the seedling or no movements were saw seen

Manipulation of Chemically Mediated Interactions in Agricultural Soils to Enhance the Control of Crop Pests and to Improve Crop Yield

In most agro-ecosystems the organisms that feed on plant roots have an important impact on crop yield and can impose tremendous costs to farmers. Similar to aboveground pests, they rely on a broad range of chemical cues to locate their host plant. In their turn, plants have co-evolved a large arsenal of direct and indirect defense to face these attacks. For instance, insect herbivory induces the synthesis and release of specific volatile compounds in plants. These volatiles have been shown to be highly attractive to natural enemies of the herbivores, such as parasitoids, predators, or entomopathogenic nematodes. So far few of the key compounds mediating these so-called tritrophic interactions have been identified and only few genes and biochemical pathways responsible for the production of the emitted volatiles have been elucidated and described. Roots also exude chemicals that directly impact belowground herbivores by altering their behavior or development. Many of these compounds remain unknown, but the identification of, for instance, a key compound that triggers nematode egg hatching to some plant parasitic nematodes has great potential for application in crop protection. These advances in understanding the chemical emissions and their role in ecological signaling open novel ways to manipulate plant exudates in order to enhance their natural defense properties. The potential of this approach is discussed, and we identify several gaps in our knowledge and steps that need to be taken to arrive at ecologically sound strategies for belowground pest management