Regulatory Frameworks for the Access and Use of Genetic Resources in Latin America.

The Nagoya Protocol is a legal framework focused on the Access and Benefit Sharing of genetic resources, including Biological Control Agents. In order to comply with the Nagoya Protocol, countries in Latin America are establishing legal frameworks for access to genetic resources. Scientists face the challenges of the bureaucratic and administrative burden to obtain the access permits to study the biodiversity present in Latin American countries, which include the evaluation of biological control agents that can be used in sustainable production programs. In order to avoid the demotivation of scientists and students to work on biological control by blocking the opportunities to get new bioproducts, it is important to increase the communication between the regulatory authorities and the scientific community, to ensure the establishment of an effective structure and mechanisms to facilitate the process and reduce the time needed to obtain the access permits. On the other hand, the establishment of regional platforms for the exchange of information and harmonization of procedures can contribute to reinforce the collaboration among Latin American countries and facilitate regional studies and biocontrol activities. In this article, the legal framework in place in different countries in Latin America will be discussed and some possible solutions and ways forward to the major challenges observed will be presented.

Would the control of invasive alien plants reduce malaria transmission? A review.

Vector control has been the most effective preventive measure against malaria and other vector-borne diseases. However, due to concerns such as insecticide resistance and budget shortfalls, an integrated control approach will be required to ensure sustainable, long-term effectiveness. An integrated management strategy should entail some aspects of environmental management, relying on coordination between various scientific disciplines. Here, we review one such environmental control tactic: invasive alien plant management. This covers salient plant-mosquito interactions for both terrestrial and aquatic invasive plants and how these affect a vector's ability to transmit malaria. Invasive plants tend to have longer flowering durations, more vigorous growth, and their spread can result in an increase in biomass, particularly in areas where previously little vegetation existed. Some invasive alien plants provide shelter or resting sites for adult mosquitoes and are also attractive nectar-producing hosts, enhancing their vectorial capacity. We conclude that these plants may increase malaria transmission rates in certain environments, though many questions still need to be answered, to determine how often this conclusion holds. However, in the case of aquatic invasive plants, available evidence suggests that the management of these plants would contribute to malaria control. We also examine and review the opportunities for large-scale invasive alien plant management, including options for biological control. Finally, we highlight the research priorities that must be addressed in order to ensure that integrated vector and invasive alien plant management operate in a synergistic fashion.

Synergy of aggregation pheromone with methyl (E,E,Z) -2,4,6-decatrienoate in attraction of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

The reported male-produced aggregation pheromone of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), identified as a mixture of (3S,6S,7R,10S)-10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol and (3R, 6S, 7R, 10S)-10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol, offers new opportunities for its management. We found that black pyramid traps deployed along crop borders in Maryland and West Virginia, containing lures with both stereoisomers of this reported aggregation pheromone combined with methyl (E,E,Z)-2,4,6-decatrienoate (MDT) lures, attracted more adult and nymphal H. halys than either the aggregation pheromone or MDT alone. In season-long totals, combined lures acted synergistically by catching 1.9-3.2 times more number of adults, and 1.4-2.5 times more number of nymphs, than expected from an additive effect of the lures deployed individually. There were no significant differences in patterns of male and female captures. MDT alone was not significantly attractive to adults during most of the growing season, but became increasingly attractive to adults and especially nymphs in autumn. Mixed-isomer lures containing eight stereoisomers of 10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol, including the two active stereoisomers, were as effective at catching adults and nymphs with or without MDT as were lures loaded only with the two active stereoisomers in the natural ratio ((3S, 6S, 7R, 10S)-10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol: (3R, 6S, 7R, 10S)-10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol) of 3.5:1. These results identify a combination of semiochemicals that is attractive season-long for detection, monitoring, and potential control of this polyphagous invasive pest of North America and Europe.

Voltinism of Diabrotica speciosa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Argentina: latitudinal clines and implications for damage anticipation.

BACKGROUND: Diabrotica speciosa (Germar) is an important pest in South America. Both the adults and the larvae are polyphagous, and its most susceptible host is maize. Factors behind the appearance of adults in the field and geographical variations in voltinism are unknown. This hinders the chances of implementing rational control strategies. RESULTS: This study compiles field collection data from four agricultural regions of Argentina to examine the number of generations and phenology of D. speciosa in the field. These data are correlated with climatic data in order to provide evidence of regional variations and probable environmental causes for the appearance of adult generations in the field. Results indicate that temperature has an important role in the appearance of new generations in the temperate distribution areas of D. speciosa, but not within its subtropical range, where teneral adults appeared all year round. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that the emergence of adults may be elicited by weekly average temperatures above 13 °C. In the temperate distribution areas of D. speciosa there could be at least three generations a year, and in the subtropical region at least five. No obvious or discrete voltinism pattern could be observed for D. speciosa in southern South America.