Diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, is considered the most important pest species of brassica crops and Euborellia annulipes can exhibit potential for its control. This work recorded the consumption of 4 th-instar larvae and pupae of P. xylostella by nymphs and adult females of the ring-legged earwig E. annulipes at different ages: 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days old. Nymphs in the 3 rd-instar and females of E. annulipes consumed daily more P. xylostella larvae than pupae. The consumption of diamondback moth pupae became constant as the 5 th-instar nymphs of the predator develop. In the other hand, the consumption of larvae decreases when nymphs are closer to molt. Female, regardless of its age, consumed more larvae than pupae of P. xylostella.

Fruit flies are pests of great agricultural concern, as they cause serious damage to the global fruit production. However, there are potential entomophagous organisms that can reduce the population of pest species such as Ceratitis capitata. Among the voracious and entomophagous Dermaptera predators, the species Pygidicrana v-nigrum displays a strong predatory potential to improve the agricultural handling by assisting the reduction of agrochemical use. This study aims to evaluate the biological development and quantification of P. v-nigrum consumption and predation of C. capitata during the fruit fly's immature stages. Larvae from the 3 rd instar and pupae of the Mediterranean fruit fly were used, where biological parameters were analyzed, including the duration and nymphal viability, adult insect size (length), sex ratio, survival of adults and egg production, and the ethology Original Research Article

The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is the main pest of brassica crops worldwide. The ringlegged earwig, Euborellia annulipes (Lucas) (Dermaptera: Anisolabididae), has been reported as a potential predator of lepidopteran larvae, including this pest, and may therefore be used for biological control. Knowledge about predator-prey interactions is important to establish pest management strategies. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of the developmental stage (larva and pupa) and density of P. xylostella on the preference and functional response of E. annulipes adult females. We used choice and no-choice tests to evaluate the foraging behavior and preference of E. annulipes on DBM life stages and varied prey density to assess the type of functional response of the ringlegged earwig. Larvae were preferred over pupae, and the predator's functional response was type II for both prey stages. Our results report the potential of E. annulipes as a biocontrol agent of P. xylostella. Understanding their interactions may help in decision-making and optimization of integrated management strategies.

Ecosystem engineer species can affect the assembly and maintenance of biological communities by altering local environmental conditions. Several palm tree species play this role in changing the surrounding environment mainly through the fall of entire rachis and the formation of a thick and homogeneous leaf litter layer beneath the canopy. However, their impact on soil animal communities remains unclear. In particular, soil organisms (e.g. ants) can be negatively affected by palm-driven local changes, since they are especially susceptible to leaf litter changes. Our objective was to test if the presence of