The formaldehyde used as anti-contaminant agent in artificial diets of insects can cause serious risks to human health. However, there are products with the same purpose, but with less toxicity to humans. In this sense, the aim of this study was to evaluate the biological parameters of Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) fed on an artificial diet containing different anti-infective agents to replace the formaldehyde, as well as analyze the effects on its parasitoid Cotesia flavipes (Cameron, 1891) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). The experiment was conducted under a completely randomized design, studying the anti-contaminant agents: sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, 2-phenylphenol, and formaldehyde (standard diet), with deionized water as control. The larvae of sugarcane borer were fed on diets with the cited agents, and were daily observed for: larval and pupal periods, larval and pupal viabilities, number of unviable larvae, longevity, pupae weight, sex ratio and the adults fecundity. To analyze the effects of the anti-contaminant agents on the C. flavipes parasitoid, 50 larvae of sugarcane borer were parasitized and daily observed until the parasitoid pupae formation, being evaluated: number of adults emerged per pupal mass, longevity and sex ratio. D. saccharalis larvae are positively influenced by replacing formaldehyde to 2-phenylphenol in their diet, not causing significant deleterious effects to C. flavipes.

In Brazil, the parasitoid Cotesia flavipes (Cameron) has been used as a biological control agent against Diatraea saccharalis (F.) since 1976, because of its effectiveness in reducing populations of this pest. Three million plastic cups are used annually to release C. flavipes, which remain in the environment. This study aimed to develop fully biodegradable packaging, so that releases occur without damaging the environment. The biological characteristics of C. flavipes were studied for five generations in the packaging developed (biodegradable boxes) and in the packaging currently used (non-biodegradable plastic cups and biodegradable cups), as were the costs. The results demonstrated the feasibility of using completely biodegradable and inexpensive packaging for the rearing, transport, and release of adult C. flavipes in the field.

Green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) are predators commonly found in coffee plantations in Brazil that can serve as important biological control agents against insect pests such as the coffee leaf miner, Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae). However, the efficacy of different lacewing species in controlling L. coffeella needs to be evaluated before they are used in augmentative biological control programs. Here, laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of the L. coffeella developmental stage on the functional response of 3 species of green lacewings: Chrysoperla externa, Ceraeochrysa cincta, and Ceraeochrysa cornuta. The attack rate, handling time, and the number of prey attacked during 24 h with different densities (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 individuals) of either L. coffeella larvae or pupae were recorded for each of the 3 lacewing species. Based on logistic regression models, all 3 predators showed a Type II functional response when consuming both larvae and pupae of L. coffeella. All 3 species also had similar attack rates (0.0091 larva/h and 0.0095 pupa/h), handling times (3.5 and 3.7 h for larvae and pupae, respectively), and estimated number of prey attacked during the observation period (6.9 larvae and 6.6 pupae) for L. coffeella larvae and pupae. Therefore, our laboratory studies show that the 3 green lacewings Ch. externa, Ce. cincta, and Ce. cornuta have potential for the biological control of L. coffeella, although these results need to be confirmed under field conditions. These findings have implications for the selection of lacewings for augmentative L. coffeella biocontrol.

Immature endoparasitoids develop inside their hosts. Consequently, endoparasitoids need to circumvent the action of the immune system and reprogram the physiology of their hosts to develop successfully. For this, parasitoids release host regulationrelated molecules into their host's hemolymph produced by the parasitoid itself or expressed in specific host cells infected by parasitoid symbiotic viruses. In addition to their roles in host regulation, these molecules may also present biotechnological potentials, such as for insecticidal purposes in crop protection. We performed a survey for the biotechnological potential of compounds present in the hemolymph serum with and without circulating cell contents of Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) parasitized by Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as insecticides in feeding assays. Hemolymph serum from D. saccharalis larvae at 6 days after the start of the parasitism with and without circulating cell contents were collected and spread over artificial diet or over sugarcane leaves for feeding assays with D. saccharalis neonates. Hemolymph serum with or without circulating cell contents from non-parasitized D. saccharalis larvae at the same age were used as controls. Subsequently, hemolymph serum plus circulating cell contents was fractioned using molecular filters and fractions with different molecular weight range were used for feeding assays with D. saccharalis neonates. Feeding larvae with leaf disks amended with hemolymph serum plus circulating cell contents from parasitized hosts resulted in an increase of ca. 30% in the mortality of D. saccharalis neonates.After fractioning hemolymph serum plus circulating cell contents, feeding assays with the >100 or 3-10 kDa fractions did not result in the previously observed increase in larval mortality, but resulted in a reduction of leaf consumption by neonates. Finally, we selected a parasitism-specific protein band observed in the hemolymph >100 kDa fraction for mass spectrometry identification. This parasitism-specific protein was similar to hymenopteran apolipophorins-I. We conclude that there is an insecticidal potential in the hemolymph serum plus circulating cell contents of D. saccharalis larvae parasitized by C. flavipes and further investigations will be performed to identify, characterize, and uncover the biotechnological application of these molecules.