The tospoviruses Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), Tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV), Groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV) and Chrysanthemum stem necrosis virus (CSNV) are well‐known pathogens on tomato in Brazil. The thrips species Frankliniella occidentalis , F. schultzei , Thrips tabaci and T. palmi were studied for their competence to transmit these tospoviruses. Frankliniella occidentalis transmitted all four tospoviruses with different efficiencies. Frankliniella schultzei transmitted TCSV, GRSV and CSNV. Although F. schultzei has been reported as a vector of TSWV, the F. schultzei population in the present study did not transmit the TSWV isolate used. A population of T. tabaci known to transmit Iris yellow spot virus (onion isolate) did not transmit any of the studied tospoviruses, and nor did T. palmi . Replication of these tospoviruses could be demonstrated by ELISA, not only in the thrips species that could transmit them, but also in those that could not. The results strongly suggest that competence to transmit is regulated not only by the initial amount of virus acquired and replication, but also by possible barriers to virus circulation inside the thrip's body.

The Brazilian Cerrado fauna shows very wide diversity and can be a potential viral reservoir. Therefore, the animal’s susceptibility to some virus can serve as early warning signs of potential human virus diseases. Moreover, the wild animal virome of this biome is unknown. Based on this scenario, high-throughput sequencing contributes a robust tool for the identification of known and unknown virus species in this environment. In the present study, faeces samples from cerrado birds (Psittacara leucophthalmus, Amazona aestiva, and Sicalis flaveola) and mammals (Didelphis albiventris, Sapajus libidinosus, and Galictis cuja) were collected at the Veterinary Hospital, University of Brasília. Viral nucleic acid was extracted, submitted to random amplification, and sequenced by Illumina HiSeq platform. The reads were de novo assembled, and the identities of the contigs were evaluated by Blastn and tblastx searches. Most viral contigs analyzed were closely related to bacteriophages. Novel archaeal viruses of the Smacoviridae family were detected. Moreover, sequences of members of Adenoviridae, Anelloviridae, Circoviridae, Caliciviridae, and Parvoviridae families were identified. Complete and nearly complete genomes of known anelloviruses, circoviruses, and parvoviruses were obtained, as well as putative novel species. We demonstrate that the metagenomics approach applied in this work was effective for identification of known and putative new viruses in faeces samples from Brazilian Cerrado fauna.

Background: Baculovirus comprise the largest group of insect viruses most studied worldwide, mainly because they efficiently kill agricutural insect pests. In this study, two recombinant baculoviruses containing the ScathL gene from Sarcophaga peregrina (vSynScathL), and the Keratinase gene from the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus (vSynKerat), were constructed. and their insecticidal properties analysed against Spodoptera frugiperda larvae. Results: Bioassays of third-instar and neonate S. frugiperda larvae with vSynScathL and vSynKerat showed a decrease in the time needed to kill the infected insects when compared to the wild type virus. We have also shown that both recombinants were able to increase phenoloxidase activity in the hemolymph of S. frugiperda larvae. The expression of proteases in infected larvae resulted in destruction of internal tissues late in infection, which could be the reason for the increased viral speed of kill. Conclusions: Baculoviruses and their recombinant forms constitute viable alternatives to chemical insecticides. Recombinant baculoviruses containing protease genes can be added to the list of engineered baculoviruses with great potential to be used in integrated pest management programs.