ABSTRACT Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae), also known as the cotton aphid, is a notable pest of several crops. Its damage can be direct and indirect. The direct damage is due to its feeding, which causes leaf shriveling, deformation of shoots, and loss of plant vigor. The pest’s indirect damage is through virus transmission to cotton. In Brazil, A. gossypii is considered as a pest to several crops, but there are no references to infestations of this aphid in soybeans. The objectives of this manuscript were to report the presence of A. gossypii infesting and colonizing soybean crops in São Paulo state, Brazil, and to alert the scientific community and farmers about this possible new pest in Brazilian soybean fields.

Resumo A diversidade de fungos, incluindo espécies entomopatogênicas, é alta nos solos. Esses fungos são utilizados no manejo de pragas com facilidade de produção, multiplicação, aplicação e dispersão no campo. O objetivo foi avaliar a diversidade de fungos entomopatogênicos em solos de culturas de eucalipto e soja e áreas de mata nativa. Fungos entomopatogênicos foram isolados pelo “Bait Method” com larvas de Tenebrio molitor (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) de 10 amostras de solo por área, coletadas a 10 cm de profundidade em zig-zag. Os fungos isolados foram cultivados em três placas de Petri em meio BDA e seus micélios separados após sete dias de incubação em câmara tipo BOD. Fungos dos gêneros Aspergillus, Beauveria, Cordyceps, Fusarium, Metarhizium, Penicillium e Purpureocillium foram identificados. O “Bait Method” com larvas de T. molitor é eficiente para isolar fungos entomopatogênicos com maior diversidade em solos de área de mata nativa que naqueles com culturas de eucalipto e soja.

Abstract Soils present high fungal diversity, including entomopathogenic species. These fungi are used in pest control, providing easy production, multiplication, application, and dispersion in the field. The objective of the present study was to evaluate entomopathogenic fungal diversity in soils from eucalyptus and soybean crops and natural forest areas. These fungi were isolated using the “Bait Method” with Tenebrio molitor (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae from 10 soil samples per area, collected at 10 cm deep in a zig-zag pattern. The isolated entomopathogenic fungi were cultivated in Petri dishes using PDA medium and their mycelia separated after seven days of incubation in a BOD-type chamber. Species of Aspergillus, Beauveria, Cordyceps, Fusarium, Metarhizium, Penicillium and Purpureocillium were identified. The “Bait Method” with T. molitor larvae is efficient to isolate entomopathogenic fungi with higher diversity from soils of the natural forest than the cultivated area.

INTRODUCTION: Regenerative therapies using biomaterials require accurate information on interactions between the implanted material and the human body. To improve the process of bone regeneration it is necessary to obtain a better understanding of the influence of the surfaces on the early stages of osseointegration. This work aims to investigate the dynamic interaction between simulated body fluid (SBF) and titanium surfaces (Ti cp) immediately after their first contact. METHODS: Ti cp samples were passed through physicochemical treatments after immersion in acid solution, alkaline solution and solutions containing TiO2 and Ca2+, to obtain three different surfaces. These were characterized by electron microscopy and free energy estimates. The evaluation of the interaction with SBF was performed by measuring the dynamic contact angles after contacting the surfaces. RESULTS: The effects of SBF wettability were more significant on surfaces according to high energy estimates. A comparative analysis of the three types of surfaces showed that fluid spreading was greater in samples with greater polar components, indicating that the surface nature influences interactions in the early stages of osseointegration. CONCLUSION: The results indicate the influence of polar interactions in the dynamic wettability of the SBF. It is possible that these interactions can also influence cellular viability on surfaces. Based on these results, new experiments are being designed to improve the presented methodology as a tool for the evaluation of biomaterials without the need for in vivo experiments.