Alguns insetos utilizam vespas como um modelo a imitar e estudos anteriores apresentaram casos de mimetismo Batesiano envolvendo este grupo de insetos. No entanto, esta relação é pouco conhecida entre percevejos fitófagos, tais como coreídeos, e ichneumonídeos Cryptinae. Encontramos em uma floresta secundária sazonal no Brasil dois insetos similares representando diferentes ordens. O mímico parece ser Holymenia clavigera (Herbst) (Heteroptera: Coreidae) e seu modelo, Cryptanura sp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Este estudo investigou semelhanças em aspectos morfológicos e comportamentais entre H. clavigera e a vespa Cryptanura sp. Holymenia clavigera e seu modelo ichneumonídeo são impressionantemente similares na cor, tamanho, comportamento de forrageamento e faixa simpátrica. Os movimentos abrangentes das antenas pelo percevejo coreídeo, que se assemelham fortemente ao comportamento de forrageamento da vespa, foram observados frequentemente. As descobertas apontam fortes evidências que H. clavigera é um mímico da vespa Ichneumonidae, Cryptanura sp.

Some insects use wasps as a model to mimic and previous studies showed cases of Batesian mimicry involving this insect group. However, this relation is poorly known between phytophagous bugs, such as coreids, and Cryptinae ichneumonids. We found in a seasonal secondary forest in Brazil two similar insects representing different orders. The mimic seems to be Holymenia clavigera (Herbst) (Heteroptera: Coreidae) and its model, Cryptanura sp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). This study therefore investigated similarities in morphological and behavioural aspects between H. clavigera and the wasp Cryptanura sp. Holymenia clavigera and its ichneumonid model are impressively similar in colour, size, foraging behaviour and sympatric range. The spanning movements of antennae by the coreid bug, which strongly resemble the foraging behaviour of the wasp, were observed frequently. The findings indicate strong evidences that H. clavigera is a mimic of the Ichneumonidae wasp, Cryptanura sp.

Eriopis connexa (Germar) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) ocorre em vários países da América do Sul e sua criação massal é importante para programas de controle biológico. Este trabalho avaliou os aspectos biológicos de larvas de E. connexa alimentadas com ovos de Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) e de Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) congelados por um dia, ovos frescos de Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), lagartas de S. frugiperda recém-eclodidas, ninfas de Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) e Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). A duração da fase larval, pupal e de larva a adulto diferiu entre as presas oferecidas; entretanto, a fase de pré-pupa foi semelhante. A viabilidade larval, pré-pupal, pupal e de adultos foi maior ou igual a 87,5% em todas as presas, com exceção para larvas alimentadas com lagartas recém-eclodidas de S. frugiperda. Eriopis connexa tem boa adaptação a diferentes presas, corroborando seu hábito alimentar polífago, o que evidencia o potencial desse inimigo natural para o controle de pragas de milho e sorgo.

Eriopis connexa (Germar) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) occurs in several countries of South America and its mass rearing is important for biological control programmes. This work evaluated biological aspects of E. connexa larva fed on eggs of Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) frozen for one day, fresh eggs of Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), S. frugiperda newly-hatched caterpillars, nymphs of Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) and Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Duration of larva, pupa and larva to adult stages differed among prey offered, whereas the prepupa stage was similar. Larva, pupa, prepupa and larva to adult viabilities were equal or major of 87.5% in all prey, except for larva fed on newly-hatched larvae of S. frugiperda. Eriopis connexa has good adaptation to different prey corroborating its polyphagous feeding habit, which evidences the potential of this natural enemy for controlling corn and sorghum pests.

In Hymenoptera, midgut changes begin in the last instar. At this stage, the larval epithelial digestive cells degenerate, leaving only the basal membrane and the regenerative cells which will develop into a new epithelium during the pupal stage and in the adult. Epithelium renewal is followed by changes in volume and shape of the midgut. Morphometric analysis of digestive cells and total midgut volume of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides (Lepeletier) were conducted to verify whether cell volume increase are sufficient to account for the total midgut volume increase that occurs during metamorphosis. An increase in midgut volume was verified in spite of the scarcity of cell proliferation found during metamorphosis. At the end of metamorphosis, the increase in cell volume was not sufficient to explain the increase in volume of the midgut, indicating that an increase in the number of digestive cells is apparently necessary. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which regenerative cells reconstitute the epithelium during metamorphosis remains unknown.

Several studies have focused on understanding the biochemistry and morphology of the fat body of the hematophagous mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae). In contrast, few studies, if any, have focused on morphological characters of the fat body in other mosquitoes, especially non-hematophagous taxa such as the culicid Toxorhynchites. Larvae of Toxorhynchites prey upon the larvae of other mosquito species and are used in vector mosquito control. We investigated aspects of the fat body trophocytes, including the morphometric analyses of the lipid droplets, protein granules and nuclei, during Toxorhynchites theobaldi (Dyar & Knab) post-embryonic development. Following the body weight increase from larval stage L2 to L4, the size of lipid droplets within the trophocytes also increase, and are likely the result of lipogenesis. Lipid droplets decrease in size during L4 to the female pupal stage and increase once again during the period from newly-emerged to mature adult females. Protein granules are observed for the first time in female pupae, and their appearance might be related to protein storage during metamorphosis. The size of the nucleus of trophocytes also increases during larval development, followed by a decrease during metamorphosis and an additional increase as adult female ages. In conclusion, the morphology of the fat body of T. theobaldi changes according to the developmental stage. Our study provides for the first time important insights into T. theobaldi fat body development and contributes to understand this species biology.