O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar os aspectos biológicos e morfológicos de machos da mosca-dos-brotos Neosilba perezi (Diptera: Lonchaeidae). Em laboratório, o período de incubação dos ovos foi de dois dias, em média, com 55,5% de viabilidade. Criadas em dieta artificial, à base de farinha de mandioca, o tempo médio de desenvolvimento da larva recém-eclodida até a formação de pupa foi de 15 dias, e o período pupal médio foi de 23 dias. O ciclo biológico (ovo-adulto) foi de aproximadamente 40 dias. Os ovos são de coloração branca, forma elíptica e têm 960 ± 5,30 µm de comprimento e 290 ± 1,30 µm de largura na região central; as larvas de aspecto vermiforme, terceiro ínstar, são de coloração branco-leitosa e medem ± 10 mm de comprimento (3º ínstar).

The aim of this study was to determine biological and morphological patterns of the male shoot fly, Neosilba perezi(Diptera: Lonchaeidae). Under laboratory conditions, the incubation period of eggs took two days, on average (viability of eggs: 55.5%). Bred on an artificial diet, based on cassava flour, the mean time of development of the newly hatched larvae to pupa formation occurred in 15 days, and the average pupal period took 23 days. Finally, the biological cycle, from egg to adult, lasted approximately 40 days. The eggs are white colored, have an elliptical form and are about 960 ± 5.30 µm long and 290 ± 1.30 µm large in the central region; the vermiform larvae, third instar, are milky white and are ± 10 mm long (3rd instar).

Estudamos machos ápteros da espécie polinizadora (Pegoscapus tonduzi) e de duas espécies não-polinizadoras, gênero Idarnes, de vespas de figo associadas à Ficus citrifolia no Brasil, para responder as seguintes questões: 1) Os machos ápteros de Idarnes spp. e P. tonduzi apresentam estratégias diferentes de competição entre machos?; e 2) As variáveis associadas às injúrias são correlacionadas às características populacionais de cada espécie? Os níveis de injúrias foram maiores nas duas espécies de Idarnes. Nossos resultados sugerem que combates agressivos fazem parte da estratégia de acasalamento de Idarnes, ao passo que machos de P. tonduzi adotam estratégias não agressivas. Em geral, as variáveis de injúria correlacionaram-se positivamente à taxa de encontros entre machos e negativamente ao tamanho do figo, apoiando a teoria de competição direta. Nossos resultados apontaram que espécies diferentes sob condições similares podem seguir histórias evolutivas distintas. Particularidades da história natural das espécies podem influenciar o nível de injúria quantificado nos machos ápteros.

The aim of this work was to study the wingless males of pollinating (Pegoscapus tonduzi) and two nonpollinating fig wasp species, genus Idarnes, associated with figs (Ficus citrifolia) in Brazil to answer the following questions: 1) Do wingless males of Idarnes spp. and P. tonduzi show different male-male competition strategies?; and, 2) Do the injury within-species variables correlate with fig/population features? Consistently higher injury levels were observed in the two species of Idarnes than in the pollinator species. The results suggested that aggressive confrontations were involved in the mating strategies of Idarnes, whereas non-aggressive strategies were shown by males of P. tonduzi. Generally, injury variables in Idarnes spp. correlated positively with the male encounter rate and negatively with the fig size, thus supporting the contest competition theory. The results pointed out that different species under similar local conditions might follow distinct evolutionary histories. Within species, natural-history particularities might have some influence upon quantified injury levels in wingless males.

A febre maculosa é mundialmente reconhecida como um problema reemergente de saúde pública. Na região de Campinas-SP, observam-se uma ampliação da área de transmissão do agente da doença e a ocorrência de um maior número de casos confirmados nos últimos anos. Nesta região, a maioria dos casos desta doença está quase sempre relacionada com o aumento populacional de capivaras, que são um dos principais hospedeiros primários do estádio adulto do carrapato Amblyomma cajennense. O principal objetivo deste estudo foi determinar o comportamento populacional de larvas, ninfas e adultos de Amblyomma spp no habitat de mata ciliar de uma área endêmica. De novembro de 2000 a outubro de 2002, carrapatos de vida livre foram coletados com armadilhas de CO2. Picos populacionais de larvas do gênero Amblyomma se estenderam por praticamente todos os meses do ano. Ninfas do gênero Amblyomma ocorreram o ano todo na mata ciliar, sendo mais abundantes de julho a dezembro. Adultos de A. cajennense foram mais abundantes na estação de primavera e verão. Adultos de A. dubitatum (=Amblyomma cooperi) apresentaram um padrão sazonal diferenciado, com os maiores picos populacionais ocorrendo de agosto a fevereiro.

Spotted fever is recognized worldwide as a reemerging public health problem. In Campinas region, state of São Paulo, the transmission area has expanded and the number of positive cases has increased in the lastest years. In these region most cases are usually related to the increased number of capybaras, which are one of the main primary hosts for the tick Amblyomma cajennense. The main objective of this study was to determine the seasonal dynamic of larvaes, nymphs and adults of Amblyomma species in a gallery forest. From November 2000 to October 2002 free-living ticks were collected using carbon dioxid traps. Larvae of Amblyomma spp were abundant during almost all months. Nymphs of Amblyomma spp occurred during the whole year and were more abundants from July to December. Adults of A.cajennense were more abundants during the spring-summer months. Adults of A. dubitatum showed higher populational peaks from August to February.

Differences in the phoresy of the mites Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Scopoli, 1972) (Macrochelidae) and Uroseius sp. (Polyaspidae) on the house fly, Musca domestica (Linnaeus, 1758) and the similarities in their phoretic dispersal and parasitism are discussed, altogether with the effects on predator-prey interactions. The prevalence and intensity of phoresy in the mite species were significantly related to the attachment site on the hosts. The phoresy of Uroseius sp. was correlated with temperature but not with rainfall and relative humidity. Selective pressure in the environment resulted in displacement and the emergence of local and regional populations. These results suggest that in each habitat the populations will use different resources and will show several relationships with other species, as well as a selection for morphological and behavioral types.

An undescribed microsporidium was found infecting Tachinaephagus zealandicus, a gregarious parasitoid that attacks third instar larvae of muscoid flies. Spores were present in all body regions and in all stages of development. Infected adults contained an average of 3.75 x 10(5) spores, and the pathogen was vertically transmitted to progeny. Infected female adults were fed either rifampicin or albendazole mixed with honey to determine the effectiveness of these drugs in preventing vertical transmission. After eight days of feeding on rifampicin the parasitoids produced progeny of which only 37% were infected. In contrast, albendazole-treated and untreated females produced progeny that were 97% and 100% infected, respectively. Healthy and infected colonies were established and studies were conducted to determine the mechanisms of transmission. It was observed that the efficiency of vertical (maternal) transmission was 96.3%. Uninfected parasitoid immatures also became infected when they shared superparasitized hosts with infected immatures. The method of transmission within superparasitized hosts is not known.

Five field populations of Musca domestica L. collected in poultry farms were bioassayed in order to detect possible resistance to the larvicide cyromazine in Brazil. The concentrations used were 0, 0.5, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 1, 2, 4 and 8 ppm. Three populations (Petrópolis, RJ, Montes Claros, MG and Promissão, SP) were resistant, while the other two populations (Ibiuna, SP and Monte Mor, SP) were more susceptible than the reference pathern used by the World Health Organization. The presence of three resistant house fly populations to cyromazine in Brazilian poultry farms strongly suggests that the operational aspects of larvicide use are important for the resistance development. Cyromazine is applied as a feed-through, both in Brazil and in the USA, where resistance has already been documented. However, in Denmark, where it was approved only as a topical manure spray, no case of resistance has yet been detected.

The author studies the genera Rhopalomera Wiedemann, 1824 and Willistoniella Mik, 1895, pointing out the remarkables differentces between them. Describes Rhopalomera stictica (wiedemann, 1828), Rhopalomera clavipes (Fabricius, 1805) and Willistoniella peluropunctata (Wiedemann, 1824).