Species composition and seasonal abundance of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in coffee agroecosystems

The composition and seasonal occurrence of sandflies were investigated in coffee agroecosystems in the Soconusco region of Chiapas, Mexico. Insect sampling was performed on three plantations located at different altitudes: Finca Guadalupe Zajú [1,000 m above sea level (a.s.l.)], Finca Argovia (613 m a.s.l.) and Teotihuacán del Valle (429 m a.s.l.). Sandflies were sampled monthly from August 2007-July 2008 using three sampling methods: Shannon traps, CDC miniature light traps and Disney traps. Sampling was conducted for 3 h during three consecutive nights, beginning at sunset. A total of 4,387 sandflies were collected during the course of the study: 2,718 individuals in Finca Guadalupe Zajú, 605 in Finca Argovia and 1,064 in Teotihuacán del Valle. The Shannon traps captured 94.3% of the total sandflies, while the CDC light traps and Disney traps captured 4.9% and 0.8%, respectively. More females than males were collected at all sites. While the number of sandflies captured was positively correlated with temperature and relative humidity, a negative correlation was observed between sandfly numbers and rainfall. Five species of sandflies were captured: Lutzomyia cruciata , Lutzomyia texana , Lutzomyia ovallesi , Lutzomyia cratifer / undulata and Brumptomyia sp. Lu. cruciata , constituting 98.8% of the total, was the most abundant species. None of the captured sandflies was infected with Leishmania spp.

Comportamiento de oviposición de Phymastichus coffea LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) sobre su huésped natural / Oviposition behavior of Phymastichus coffea LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) on its natural host

Phymastichus coffea LaSalle is an African endoparasitoid of adults of the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) that was introduced into Mexico for biological control purposes. The objective of this study was to investigate the oviposition behavior of P. coffea on its host under laboratory conditions. The results indicate that P. coffea females exhibited 12 behavioral acts during and after oviposition, such as, walking, cleaning, flying, surface landing, resting, host landing, host antennation, touching the host with forelegs, host recognition, walking on the host, oviposition and cleaning after oviposition. The sequence of each behavior is described in an ethogram.

Indicadores de infestación, colonización e infección de Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) en Campeche, México / Indicators of infestation, colonization and infection of Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Campeche, México

Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille) is considered to be one of the primary vectors of Chagas disease in Southern Mexico and Central America. The objective of the present study was to obtain ecological information on T. dimidiata in two rural communities of Campeche, Mexico, where the vector is poorly studied. Our work consisted of monthly samplings carried out during one-year time at three levels: sylvatic, peridomestic and intradomestic, in order to estimate the population abundance of this species and its rate of infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Triatoma dimidiata was the unique vector of this disease collected in San Juan Bautista Sakcabchen (SJBS) and Crucero San Luis (CSL). The total of 145 individuals were captured in SJBS; from these, 26.9 percent, 20 percent and 53.1 percent were collected in the sylvatic, peridomestic and intradomestic area, respectively. In CSL captures yielded 108 individuals: 40.7 percent in the sylvatic area, 20.4 percent peridomestic and 38.9 percent intradomestic. We found no correlation between climatic variables and population abundance of T. dimidiata. Dataset obtained suggests that individuals from the sylvatic area exhibit a high rate of natural infection by T. cruzi, with monthly percentages up to 61.5 percent for SJBS and 50 percent for CSL. At the peri and intradomestic level, the reservoirs apparently play an important role in the transmission, as the seroprevalence in dogs was 61.5 percent y 65.4 percent, for SJBS y CSL, respectively. Based on these findings, it was concluded that inhabitants of both communities are at a high risk of Chagas disease infection.

Susceptibilidad del parasitoide Phymastichus coffea LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) a Beauveria bassiana en condiciones de laboratorio / Susceptibility of the Parasitoid Phymastichus coffea LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) to Beauveria bassiana under laboratory conditions

La broca del café, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), es la plaga mas importante del cultivo de café en el mundo. Beauveria bassiana es un hongo entomopatógeno generalista ampliamente utilizado por los productores de café para controlar a H. hampei. Phymastichus coffea LaSalle es un endoparasitoide africano de adultos de la broca, recién importado a varios países de Latinoamérica y del Caribe para el control de esta plaga. En el presente estudio se realizaron bioensayos de laboratorio con el objetivo de determinar si B. bassiana es detrimental para el parasitoide P. coffea. La susceptibilidad del parasitoide fue evaluada en términos de supervivencia de adultos, concentración letal media (CL50), tiempo letal medio (TL50), reproducción y mortalidad de su progenie. El principal efecto del hongo resultó en la disminución de la longevidad de los adultos y en la mortalidad del 100 por ciento de los inmaduros del parasitoide. La CL50 para adultos de P. coffea fue de 0.11 por ciento equivalente a 9.53 x 10(7) conidias/ml de B. bassiana y una TL50 de 29.4h, equivalente a la reducción del 22 por ciento de su longevidad normal como adulto. P. coffea fue capaz de transmitir esporas de B. bassiana a brocas no infectadas con el hongo y originar indirectamente la muerte de su progenie. Este trabajo servirá de referencia cuando se contemple el empleo de ambos organismos a nivel de campo, especialmente dentro de un plan de manejo integral de la plaga.

The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the most important coffee pest worldwide. Beauveria bassiana is a generalist entomopathogenic fungus widely used by coffee farmers to control this pest and Phymastichus coffea LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is an African endoparasitoid of H. hampei adults, recently imported to several Latin American and Caribbean countries to aid in the coffee berry borer control. The objective of this study was to determine if B. bassiana is detrimental to P. coffea. The susceptibility of the parasitoid was evaluated in terms of adult survivorship, mean lethal concentration (LC50), mean lethal time (LT50), reproduction and immature mortality. The main effect of the fungus resulted in reduction of adult longevity and mortality of 100 percent for immature stages of this parasitoid. The LC50 for adults was 0.11 percent equivalent to 9.53 x 10(7) conidia/ml of B. bassiana and a LT50 of 29.4h, equivalent to reduction of 22 percent of its normal longevity as an adult. P. coffea was capable of disseminating spores of B. bassiana to non-infected H. hampei adults, which could indirectly cause the death of its own progeny. These results could be valuable when considering the use of both organisms in the field, especially in an integrated pest management program.