O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a abundância de cupins e a percepção de moradores sobre a atuação desses insetos como pragas. O trabalho foi conduzido em quatro residências do bairro Jardim Paraíso, em Cáceres, Mato Grosso. Para isso, foram realizadas inspeções em março, maio, agosto e novembro de 2004 e fevereiro de 2005 por meio de coleta manual (dentro das residências e em árvores nos quintais) e da aplicação de questionários com os moradores para verificar a opinião deles sobre a atuação dos cupins. Foram identificadas quatro espécies: Nasutitermes coxipoensis(48,2%), Nasutitermes sp. (31%), Microcerotermes strunckii(7%) e Heterotermes tenuis(13,7%). Tanto os gêneros (χ2 = 7,880; GL = 8; α = 0,445) quanto as espécies (χ2= 20,542; GL = 12; α = 0,058) ocorreram em proporções similares durante o ano, demonstrando que não existe uma relação entre os períodos de coleta e a abundância de insetos. Neste estudo, 50% dos moradores não consideraram os cupins como pragas em suas residências, provavelmente porque na maioria dos casos esses insetos foram encontrados em árvores. Devido ao baixo número de casas investigadas, mais estudos são necessários para o melhor entendimento sobre a ocorrência de cupins.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the abundance of termites and the perception of residents about those insects as pests. This study was conducted inside and in the surroundings of four houses in the neighbourhood Jardim Paraíso, in Cáceres, Mato Grosso. Inspections were carried out in March, May, August and November, 2004 and February. 2005, by manual collection (inside the houses and on trees of the backyards). Questionnaires were used to check the opinions of the residents about these insects. Four species were identified: Nasutitermes coxipoensis (48.2%), Nasutitermes sp. (31%), Microcerotermes strunckii (7%) and Heterotermes tenuis (13.7%). The genera (χ2 = 7.880; GL = 8; α = 0.445) and the species (χ2 = 20.542; GL = 12; α = 0.058) occurred in similar proportions. No significant relation was found between the collection periods and the abundance of the insects. In this study, 50% of the residents did not consider the termites as pests, probably because in most cases (56.4%) termites were found only in the trees. Due to the small number of investigated houses, further studies are necessary for a better understanding of the termite incidence.

This study aimed at verifying the influence of the seasonality and landscape of the place of apiaries in the production and physicochemical quality of propolis produced in Cáceres-MT. Within August/2006 and July/2007 twenty-three propolis samples were collected monthly. The physicochemical quality of propolis was determined by the characteristic: loss by drying, wax, mechanical mass, oxidation activity, dry extract, flavonoids and total phenolics. The production of propolis was analyzed through correlation with seasonality (dry and wet). The same statistic model was used to correlate the production with the landscape (highland and flood plain). For each physicochemical characteristic were used statistic model of correlation described for the production of propolis. The seasonality did not influence on propolis production and on physicochemical quality. The landscape did not influence on propolis production and physicochemical quality loss by drying and mechanical mass, however, it determined the physicochemical quality for wax (x=22.44%), oxidation activity (x=9.73''), dry extract (x=22.31%), flavonoids (x=1.94%) and total phenolics (x=0.02%) in the highland of the Pantanal of Cáceres. This way it concludes that the production and physicochemical quality of propolis were not influenced by seasonality. The landscape influenced positively on physicochemical quality of propolis in the highland of the Pantanal of Cáceres.

La enfermedad de Chagas se convirtió en un problema de salud debido a su importancia epidemiológica, es producida por el protista Trypanosoma cruzi, cuyos insectos vectores son del género Triatoma y Panstrongylus. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la actividad biocida del extracto de Annona coriacea en las ninfas de Rhodnius neglectus y en sus adultos. Se evaluaron 14 concentraciones de 25, 50, 100 y 200mg/ml del extracto etanólico, así como el control, en este caso agua de DMSO (20%). Se utilizo un diseño completamente aleatorizado con tres repeticiones para el bioensayo con 10 ninfas y 10 adultos (cinco machos y cinco hembras) para cada tratamiento. La acción del extracto se observo durante 28 días en ambos bioensayos. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que el extracto de A. coriacea fue capaz de interrumpir el desarrollo de las ninfas y adultos de R. neglectus, con una mortalidad de más del 90%, 36% y 100%, correspondiendo a las concentraciones más altas. También hubo inhibición de la muda de las ninfas, una menor capacidad reproductiva de las hembras, disuasión alimentaria y cambios morfológicos en las ninfas y adultos. Se concluye que el extracto de A. coriacea presentó acción insecticida en ninfas y adultos de R. neglectus.

The use of synthetic insecticides for insect control may lead to different kind of problems, such as vector resistance to insecticides. To avoid these problems, a new research area to study botanical products as possible disease vectors controls, has become a feasible alternative. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the biocide activity of the ethanol extract of seeds of Annona coriacea on Rhodnius neglectus (Chagas disease vector) nymphs and adults. For this, different concentrations extracts were evaluated: 25, 50, 100 and 200mg/ mL, and water in DMSO (20%) was used as control. The experimental design was completely randomized and we conducted the bioassay with nymphs and adults, with 10 nymphs and 10 adults (five males and five females) per treatment. Extract action was evaluated in both bioassays, in order to identify possible effects of mortality and life cycle interruption of nymphs and adults during a 28-day-period. The results obtained showed that the extract of A. coriacea was able to disrupt the development of nymphs and adults of R. neglectus, with a mortality rate of more than 90%, 36% and 100%, at the highest concentrations, respectively. There was also molting inhibition in nymphs, lower reproductive capacity in females, feeding deterrence and morphological changes in nymphs and adults. We concluded that the extract of A. coriacea has insecticide action on nymphs and adults of R. neglectus.

Os cafeeiros apresentam domácias em suas folhas que abrigam ácaros, inclusive ácaros predadores que podem também fazer uso dessas estruturas. Neste estudo foi avaliado o efeito das domácias sobre o predador Iphiseiodes zuluagai Denmark & Muma, através da manipulação dessas estruturas em folhas de Coffea arabica L. var. Catuaí. Os testes foram realizados em arenas constituídas por folhas de cafeeiro com a face abaxial voltada para cima. Foi avaliada a sobrevivência de I. zuluagai em folhas com domácias fechadas (T1); domácias abertas contendo alimento (T2) e domácias abertas vazias (T3). Foram feitas observações a cada 24h, contabilizando-se o número de adultos vivos, local de oviposição e quantidade de ovos de I. zuluagai / tratamento. Foram observadas diferenças significativas entre os tratamentos. Nas folhas com domácias abertas (T2 e T3) foram encontrados ácaros vivos até o final do experimento, não ocorrendo o mesmo nas folhas com domácias fechadas (T1). No que se refere à oviposição de I. zuluagai, nos tratamentos em que as domácias se encontravam abertas (T2 e T3), o ácaro ovipositou preferencialmente dentro destas estruturas, enquanto nas folhas com domácias fechadas a oviposição foi feita preponderantemente à margem das folhas em contato com o algodão úmido. Os resultados indicam a importância das domácias como fonte de sobrevivência para os ácaros predadores nas plantas, sugerindo uma interação mutualística planta-predador. No café, o mutualismo planta-predador intermediado por domácias poderia ser explorado em estratégias de controle biológico natural, ao se selecionarem espécies de cafeeiro com domácias que favoreçam a presença dos ácaros predadores nas mesmas, protegendo-as contra o ataque de ácaros herbívoros nocivos.

Coffee plants have domatia on their leaves harboring mites, and the predatory mites can also use such structures. Here we evaluated the effect of the domatia on the predatory mite Iphiseiodes zuluagai Denmark & Muma, manipulating these structures on the leaves of Coffea arabica L. var. Catuaí. The tests were done using arenas made of coffee leaves placed up side down inside petri dishes. The survivorship of I. zuluagai was evaluated when released on leaves with closed domatia (T1); leaves with open domatia plus prey (T2) and leaves with open domatia without prey (T3). The experiment was checked every 24h, measuring the number of alive adults, oviposition site and the number of I. zuluagai eggs/treatment. Significant difference was found between treatments. Mites were alive until the end of the experiments on leaves with open domatia (T2 and T3), which did not happen on leaves with closed domatia (T1). The predators oviposited preferentially inside the domatia on treatments with open domatia, and on the edge of the leaves, next to the moist cotton bordering the leaves, on the treatment with closed domatia. The results indicate the role of domatia on the survivorship of the predators on the coffee plants, suggesting a possible mutualist interactions plant-predator. On coffee crops, a mutualistic plant-predator interaction mediated by domatia could be used in practices of natural biological control, selecting coffee plants with domatia to harbor predatory mites and thereby protecting plants against harmful herbivore mites.