The Peruvian Amazonian native cacao faces ongoing challenges that significantly undermine its productivity. Among them, frosty pod rot disease and cadmium accumulation result in losses that need for effective and environmentally safe strategies, such as those based on bacteria. To explore the biological resources in the cacao soil, a descriptive study was conducted to assess the diversity of culturable bacteria across three production districts in the Amazonas region: La Peca, Imaza, and Cajaruro. The study also focused on the functional properties of these bacteria, particularly those related to the major issues limiting cacao cultivation. For this purpose, 90 native bacterial isolates were obtained from the cacao rhizosphere. According to diversity analysis, the community was composed of 19 bacterial genera, with a dominance of the Bacillaceae family and variable distribution among the districts. This variability was statistically supported by the PCoA plots and is related to the pH of the soil environment. The functional assessment revealed that 56.8% of the isolates showed an antagonism index greater than 75% after 7 days of confrontation. After 15 days of confrontation with Moniliophthora roreri, 68.2% of the bacterial population demonstrated this attribute. This capability was primarily exhibited by Bacillus strains. On the other hand, only 4.5% were capable of removing cadmium, highlighting the biocontrol potential of the bacterial community. In addition, some isolates produced siderophores (13.63%), solubilized phosphate (20.45%), and solubilized zinc (4.5%). Interestingly, these traits showed an uneven distribution, which correlated with the divergence found by the beta diversity.

Flies are the main competitors of dung beetles for oviposition sites and rolling dung beetles relocate their food to reduce interspecific competition. Furthermore, dung beetles deposit chemical substances on the food ball that may repel fly larvae and certain predators. In the present study, using Deltochilum furcatum, a dung beetle that does not exhibit parental care and the blow-fly, Lucilia cuprina, we tested the hypothesis that pygidial secretions deposited on the food ball could also make it less attractive as an oviposition site for flies. Food balls rolled by either D. furcatum males or females received significantly fewer eggs that balls that had not been rolled by beetles. Also, flies laid significantly fewer eggs on food balls treated with secretions collected from male pygidial glands. Reduced fly oviposition may be a direct effect of compounds the beetles deposited, acting as an allomone, and/or an indirect negative effect on the microbial community that stimulates fly oviposition. A model of the reproductive biology of this species is proposed.

The black bug, Antiteuchus tripterus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is one of the most important pests of cacao in Peru. Its control relies primarily on synthetic insecticides, which negatively impact the environment and the health of cacao farmers. Therefore, the use of natural enemies, such as entomopathogenic fungi, represents a promising and sustainable alternative. In this study, we aimed to characterize entomopathogenic fungal isolates obtained from naturally infected A. tripterus adults in Peru. Using morphological and molecular approaches, we identified the isolates as Purpureocillium takamizusanense. Then, we assessed their pathogenic potential against A. tripterus and identified their functional cell wall groups. To evaluate pathogenicity, A. tripterus nymphs were exposed to serially diluted conidial suspensions (10⁵–10⁹ conidia mL⁻¹; isolate 24M) in both laboratory and field trials. The isolates exhibited conidial viability above 99%. Concentration-mortality bioassays confirmed the lethal effect of P. takamizusanense against A. tripterus nymphs. The LC₅₀ was 1.65 × 10⁶ conidia mL^–1, while the LT₅₀ and LT₉₀ were 3.08 and 7.29 days, respectively. The field mortality rate was about 52%, which can be explained by the influence of the environment. Spectroscopy analyses revealed functional groups including chitin, glucans, lipids, aliphatic chains, and proteins, which may contribute to infection and fungal persistence. This study presents the first record of P. takamizusanense in the Americas and highlights its potential as a biocontrol agent against A. tripterus in cacao plantations.

In Peru, pine (Pinus patula) plantations are important for reforestation and sustainable timber production. However, a recent infestation of Lepidoptera larvae was detected affecting large areas of pine plantations in the department of Amazonas. The objective of this research was to characterize this Lepidoptera pest and the natural enemies found in the affected area. Eggs, larvae, pupae and adults were collected and analyzed by morphological and molecular techniques. The results show that Glena bisulca (Geometridae) is the species that infests pine plantations in Amazonas, with larvae that completely defoliate the trees. Additionally, we were able to identify Trichophora melas (Tachinidae) as a parasitoid associated with the collected pupae of G. bisulca. This is the first study reporting G. bisulca attacking pine plantations in Peru, and the first to generate molecular identification sequences for T. melas. The results are essential for the recognition of G. bisulca and its natural enemy, allowing for the development of Integrated Pest Management strategies in Peru’s pine plantations.

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar el efecto del estrés por déficit hídrico sobre características morfológicas (altura de planta, longitud de hoja y longitud de raíz) y agronómicas (número de granos/espiga, número de espigas/m2 y rendimiento) de trigo (Triticum aestivum). Se evaluaron cuatro regímenes de riego (25 %, 50 %, 75 % y 100 %) y dos variedades de trigo (Gavilán y San Isidro), para lo cual se utilizó un diseño experimental completamente aleatorizado con arreglo factorial. La siembra se realizó en macetas con sustrato a base de tierra agrícola y humus (3:1), luego de 30 días se aplicaron los regímenes de riego establecidos en base a la ETc y requerimiento de riego del cultivo. Los datos se sometieron al análisis de varianza y la prueba de Duncan (p ≤ 0,05). Los resultados mostraron diferencias significativas entre tratamientos. La aplicación de riego al 75 y 100 % del requerimiento permitió alcanzar las mayores alturas de planta con promedios entre 53,37 a 57,44 cm y longitud de hoja con valores entre 11,89 y 11,37 cm. Además, estos tratamientos han mostrado mejor comportamiento agronómico, reportando entre 2500 a 3500 granos/m2 y, por lo tanto, mejores rendimientos (> 120 g/m2).

This study reports the first records of the genus Shannoniana Lane & Cerqueira, 1942 and Trichoprosopon aff. castroi Lane & Cerqueira, 1942 in Peru, both belonging to the Sabethini tribe of mosquitoes. Fieldwork was conducted in the Cerro Adobe conservation center in the Amazonas region, where ovitraps were used to collect mosquito larvae, which were then reared in the laboratory for identification. Morphological and molecular analyses confirmed the presence of these species, with Shannoniana showing differences from previously described species, and Trichoprosopon aff. castroi being recognized as a new record of this species for Peru. Phylogenetic analysis of COI sequences revealed 3 distinct genetic lineages, supporting the monophyly of Sabethini but indicating inconsistencies in the internal relationships within the genus Trichoprosopon. This work expands the known diversity of Sabethini mosquitoes in Peru and underscores the value of molecular tools in resolving taxonomic challenges in mosquito studies.