Abstract Agroforestry systems represent the integration of agricultural crops with native vegetation. These systems are of great importance to minimize the agricultural impact in the land through intercropping of these vegetations. Despite of the importance of Chrysidoidea as parasitoids wasps associated with different groups of insects, there is no study comparing the assemblages of these hymenopterans in conventional and agroforestry systems in southeastern Brazil. The “Pontal do Paranapanema”, located in the extreme west of the state of São Paulo (Brazil), has historically been occupied by coffee crops and some small areas of agroforestry systems. Therefore, this study aimed to verify the abundance and composition of Chrysidoidea wasp fauna in different conventional coffee crops and agroforestry systems located in this region. To do so, we collected in six different localities in the “Pontal do Paranapanema” using a Malaise trap in each locality, with collections occurring monthly between June 2011 and July 2012. A total of 3,623 Chrysidoidea specimens of three families were collected: Bethylidae, with four genera and 3,396 individuals, representing 93.73% of the total collected; Chrysididae with 11 genera and 151 individuals (4.16%), and Dryinidae with five genera and 76 individuals (2.09%). In terms of abundance, the agroforestry was responsible for most of the individuals collected (n = 2029), followed by the conventional systems with 1,406 individuals and the transitional with 188. The most abundant genera were Epyris and Dissomphalus, responsible for about 92% of the total of Chrysidoidea collected. Most of the genera of Chrysididae were collected in the conventional systems alone or in both conventional and agroforestry systems. For Bethylidae and Dryinidae, no genera were found exclusively in the conventional system. It is expected that the structural complexity of each one of the different ecosystems impact directly in the fauna of Chrysidoidea parasitoids associated.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo quantificar as perdas na cultura do milho BRS 3123 decorrentes do ataque da lagarta-do-cartucho (Spodoptera frugiperda), na ausência e presença de seus inimigos naturais. Aos 15 dias depois da emergência da planta, foi realizada uma infestação artificial da praga (uma postura por metro quadrado). As lagartas alimentaram-se da planta, sem a interferência de seus inimigos naturais, pela utilização de uma gaiola de proteção (inicial, de dois dias depois da infestação, até uma proteção máxima de 16 dias). O dano da praga, determinado por uma escala de notas de 0 (plantas sem dano) a 5 (plantas mortas), foi em média de 4,01, 1,39, 1,09 e 0,93 para o período de proteção da praga de 16, 6, 4 e 2 dias, respectivamente. Na ausência de agentes de controle biológico, o ataque da praga ocasionou perdas na produção de matéria seca de 47,27% e perdas no rendimento de grãos de 54,49%. Os resultados evidenciaram a importância dos inimigos naturais na supressão de lagartas de S. frugiperda na cultura de milho.

This work had the objective of quantifying the losses in the maize hybrid BRS 3123 due to the attack of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), in the absence or presence of its natural enemies. Fifteen days after the plant emergency, an artificial infestation (one egg mass per square meter) was accomplished. The larvae fed on the plant, without the interference of its natural enemies, by using an appropriated protection cage (initial protection for two days after infestation, until a maximum protection period of 16 days). The damage caused by the pest, determined through a visual scale from 0 (plants without damage) to 5 (dead plants), was on average, 4.01, 1.39, 1.09 and 0.93 for the pest protection period of 16, 6, 4 and 2 days, respectively. In the absence of the biological control agents, the attack of the pest caused losses of 47.27% in the dry matter production and losses of 54.49% in grain yield. The results evidenced the importance of natural enemies in the suppression of fall armyworm in maize crop.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi monitorar a presença de pragas e seus inimigos naturais em diferentes regiões produtoras de milho. Foram coletadas 7.415 lagartas em plantas de milho, em municípios dos estados de Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul e Goiás. Foi observada associação do parasitóide Exasticolus fuscicornis Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) com o hospedeiro, lagarta de Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), em 1,54% das lagartas coletadas. O ciclo de vida do parasitóide foi de 23,31 dias. A longevidade de machos e fêmeas foi de 15 e 16,5 dias, respectivamente. A razão sexual foi de 0,36.

The objective of this work was to track the presence of pests and their natural enemies in different productive regions of maize. Seven thousand, four hundred and fifteen worms were collected in maize plants, in Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Goiás states, in Brazil. The association between the parasitoid Exasticolus fuscicornis Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and the host Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was observed in 1.54% of the collected worms. Parasitoids life cycle was of 23.31 days. Longevity was of 15 and 16.5 days to males and females, respectively. Sex ratio was 0.36.

The venom apparatus morphology of Braconidae can be useful in systematic and phylogenetical studies. This work shows a morphological analysis of the venom apparatus of the following cyclostome Braconidae subfamilies: Alysiinae, Aphidiinae, Braconinae, Doryctinae, Opiinae and Rogadtnae. The characters studied are muscle, form and constrictions of the reservoir, and also number, form and branching of the glands.