Although many studies have been conducted on the development and reproductive potential of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, 1908 (Hemiptera: Liviidae) in different ho

Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most serious disease affecting citriculture worldwide. Its vector in the main producing regions is the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, 1908 (Hemiptera: Liviidae). Brazil has the largest orange-growing area and is also the largest exporter of processed juice in the world. Since the first detection of the disease in this country, >38 million plants have been destroyed and pesticide consumption has increased considerably. During early research on control methods, the parasitoid Tamarixia radiata (Waterston, 1922) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was found in Brazil. Subsequent studies focused on its bio-ecological aspects and distribution in citrus-producing regions. Based on successful preliminary results for biological control with T. radiata in small areas, mass rearing was initiated for mass releases in Brazilian conditions. Here, we review the Brazilian experience using T. radiata in D. citri control, with releases at sites of HLB outbreaks, adjacent to commercial areas, in abandoned groves, areas with orange jessamine (a psyllid host), and backyards.

O Brasil tem avançado fortemente na utilização do controle biológico como estratégia dentro da sua agricultura. O uso deste modelo de controle a parasitoides e predadores cresce aqui em um ritmo muito maior do que o do restante do mundo, cujo aumento tem figurado entre 10-15% ao ano. Considerando esse novo desafio, que é desenvolver um modelo de controle biológico para regiões tropicais com tecnologia própria, essa obra apresenta 21 capítulos com vasto material sobre o assunto. Direcionado especialmente ao controle de macrorganismos (insetos e ácaros), o livro é dividido em cinco seções. Aborda assuntos básicos e aplicados, especialmente para a elaboração de programas inter e multidisciplinares, desde a taxonomia até modelos praga/inimigos naturais. Isso é fundamental para que bons resultados sejam obtidos em diferentes culturas, e esses resultados sejam transferidos ao agricultor.

Several species of Orius Wolff are used in biological control of thrips in protected cultivations in temperate regions, but some of them show reproductive diapause, compromising the efficiency of these agents of biological control. There are no reports on the biology of the neotropical species Orius thyestes Herring under different environmental conditions. The purpose of this work was to investigate the influence of photoperiod on reproduction and longevity of this predator. Nymphs were kept in petri dishes in climatic chambers at 28 ± 1°C, 70 ± 10% RH and under the photoperiods of 12L:12D, 11L:13D, 10L:14D e 09L:15D. The mating adults were kept in petri dishes with Bidens pilosa L. Asteraceae inflorescences as oviposition substracts and eggs of Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) as food. The pre-oviposition and oviposition periods, fecundity and longevity were evaluated and O. thyestes did not show reprodutive diapause in all photoperiod conditions established. The mean number of eggs obtained per female decreased with the reduction of the photophase, with a difference (P < 0.05) between the values obtained in 12h and 9h of photophase. Longevity of females and males under 9h photophase was shorter (P < 0.05) than in all other photoperiods tested. The knowledge of the biology of the natural enemy under different conditions allows to optimise the mass rearing and to predict the performance of the predator in different photoperiods which may occur along the year and in greenhouses.