Essential oils and their derivatives are ecofriendly biopesticides that can contribute to reducing the use of synthetic pesticides in agricultural pest control, offering advantages including less harm to humans and the environment. This work concerns hydrogel-based repellent systems containing botanical compounds that were emulsified or encapsulated in zein nanoparticles. The hydrogels were prepared according to a two-step process involving molding and cross-linking. They presented good rheological properties, even at elevated temperature (40 °C), a swelling degree of ∼30 ± 1.2%, and were able to modulate the release of active compounds. The hydrogels containing botanical compounds presented high repellency (>80%) against two important agricultural pests: whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae). These repellent systems are promising for use in sustainable agriculture, since they are based on the use of natural substances for both the matrices and the active agents. It is noteworthy that the systems can be used without direct contact with plants, which minimizes any problems related to phytotoxicity.

Nanomaterials composed of natural matrices associated with biopesticides have promising applications in sustainable agriculture. In this study, the biopesticide neem Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems CorporationAnswer: Thank you for your comment. We have inserted the requested information throughout the manuscript. Please verify the revised version.Reviewer: Figure 5. I do not agree with the analysis. I will suggest to apply repeated measures ANOVA or survival analysis and their curves. Answer: Thank you for your comment. We would like to explain that in Figure 5, there is no need to perform repeated measurements ANOVA because our data do not represent measurements over time of the same sample. In fact, different leaves were collected on different days after the application of the treatments to perform the test, and not a single leaf was collected and analyzed 1, 6 and 12 days latter. We have modified the figure caption for better understanding. Please verify the revised version of the manuscript.Reviewer: Line 591-801. Firstly, discussion section seems like a review of literature and many of the sentenses are awkwardly placed. I will suggest to rewrite the whole sentense. Secondly, hard to get the idea due to linguistic and syntax errors. Answer: Thank you for your comment. We have abbreviated the discussion and some cited studies were deleted. Please verify the revised version of the manuscript.Reviewer: Line 592-600. The opening paragraph of the discussion section is not appropriately written. I will suggest to rewrite this section. Answer: Thank you for your comment. We have rewritten the discussion. Please verify the revised version of the manuscript.Reviewer: Line 553-554. The sentense is awkwardly placed. Answer: Thank you for your comment. We have deleted the indicated sentence.Reviewer: Line 801. I will suggest the authors to provide a comprehensive conclusion of the study. Answer: Thank you for your comment. We have rewritten the conclusion. Please verify the revised version of the manuscript. Reviewer #2: Reviewer: I have read the manuscript entitled " Nanobiopesticide based on zein nanoparticles and neem oil: a study using target and nontarget organisms". The manuscript presents a well-written and appropriately analyzed series of experiments to determine the pesticidal and biological activity of neem oil-loaded zein nanoparticles against three pests (Acanthoscelides obtectus, Bemisia tabaci, and Tetranychus urticae), in addition to the phytotoxic effects of these nanoparticles using Phaseolus vulgaris. Overall, the manuscript is generally clear and concise report of a well-executed study. The objectives are clear; the experiments are pertinent and follow a logical reasoning; the main findings of the study are convincing and the conclusion is appropriate. The paper is clearly organized and the contribution is interesting and falls within the scope of the journal. The work is generally well written, except for certain parts of the manuscript, where a good technical ...

-The objective of this work was to evaluate the development, survival, reproductive capacity, and longevity of the Asian ladybug Harmonia axyridis in comparison with Cycloneda sanguinea and Hippodamia convergens. Coccinellid larvae and adults were fed daily with Schizaphis graminum. Ten couples of each species were isolated for evaluation of the adult phase. The duration of the larval stage of H. axyridis is the longest (10.2 days) and its adults are the heaviest (29.7 mg) compared with C. sanguinea and H. convergens. The three species showed similar percentages of survival during the developmental stages. An average of 82% of C. sanguinea, H. axyridis, and H. convergens larvae reached adulthood, which indicates that temperature (25°C) and the offered prey are favorable to coccinellid development. Harmonia axyridis produces a higher total number of eggs per female (1,029.2) than the other evaluated species. However, H. axyridis, which lives for an average of 147.2 days, does not show a significantly greater longevity than C. sanguinea (87.2 days) and H. convergens (134.3 days).Index terms: biological control, coccinellid, development, longevity, ladybug, predator. Termos para indexação: controle biológico, coccinelídeo, desenvolvimento, longevidade, joaninha, predador. Aspectos biológicos de Harmonia axyridis em comparação a Cycloneda sanguinea e Hippodamia convergens

No abstract

The carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are recognized as polyphagous predators and important natural enemies of insect pests. However, little is known about the feeding habits of these beetles. In this work, we determine the types of food content in the digestive tracts of nine species of Carabidae associated with herbaceous plants and different growth stages of coloured cotton. The food contents were evaluated for beetles associated with the coloured cotton cv. BRS verde, Gossypium hirsutum L. latifolium Hutch., adjacent to weed plants and the flowering herbaceous plants (FHPs) Lobularia maritima (L.), Tagetes erecta L., and Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. The digestive tract analysis indicated various types of diets and related arthropods for Abaris basistriata, Galerita brasiliensis, Scarites sp., Selenophorus alternans, Selenophorus discopunctatus and Tetracha brasiliensis. The carabids were considered to be polyphagous predators, feeding on different types of prey.