Hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts of Atalantia monophylla were evaluated for their larvicidal and pupicidal activities against Spodoptera litura. Bioefficacy of A. monophylla leaf extracts were studied leaf disc no choice method at 0.5, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0% concentration of crude extracts and 125, 250, 500 and 1000 ppm concentration of fractions against S. litura. The maximum larvicidal and pupicidal activities were noticed in hexane extract of A. monophylla. The hexane extract exhibited the least LC50 value of 2.01% for larvicidal activity and regression value (R 0.98 and Coefficients 9.33 ± 17.1) for concentration dependent larvicidal activity. The hexane extract was fractionated using increasing polarity of solvent system. Twelve fractions were isolated and were evaluated at four different concentrations. Maximum antifeedant, larvicidal and pupicidal activities was noticed in fraction 9 at 1000 ppm concentration. Ninth fraction exhibited concentration dependent antifeedant and larvicidal activities with liner regression of R 0.93, and 0.93 respectively. Least LC50 value of 340.27 ppm was observed in fraction nine for larvicidal activity. All the concentrations of 9th fraction showed good activity.

Due to urban development and underground parking lot increase, mosquito habitats in 42 urban underground parking lots (UPLs) in densely populated metropolitan areas (Jiang’an and Jianghan districts), Wuhan, central China have been investigated from August to October 2012. Out of the 42 locations 14 were served for business properties and institutions (BPI) and 28 served for property management residential areas (PMRA). Five representative potential habitats were sampled and immature mosquitoes were founded from 40 (95%) UPLs, included 12 (86%) UPLs from BPI and 28 UPLs from PMRA. The percentages of UPLs with the collections of Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus Say, Culex pipiens molestus and Aedes albopitus Skuse were 88%, 36% and 60%, respectively. Immature mosquitoes were collected from 118 out of the 204 standing water habitats sampled (58%). The most abundant positive habitats were cisterns (n=83), followed by ditches (n=29). The proportion of mosquito positive habitats was significantly higher in UPLs for PMRA (64%) than for BPI (46%). Building UPLs in populous areas of city leads to mosquito breeding and may increase the risk of mosquito borne diseases. This study suggests that local mosquito control programs in developmental and high density cities should focus on the surveillance and control of the breeding sites in UPLs.

The Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos canadensis) is an endangered species in Mexico, and the captive breeding is relevant to its conservation. Monomorphic raptor species, such as Golden eagle, are difficult for sex determination based only on morphometric measures and plumage characteristics, and a reliable method to determine the sex of birds is important for conservation strategies. With the purpose of forming new captive breeding couples, the sex of 10 adult Golden eagles was identified using DNA analysis such as CHD gene amplification (P8, P2 primers), and by CHD amplification by ARMS technique. In addition bioinformatic, and PCA statistical analysis of morphometric characteristics were conducted. We confirmed that the P2-P8 pair of primers inside the CHD gene was not a good option for Golden eagles because fragments derived from sex specific alleles CHD-W and CHD-Z differed just in 6 bp, which are not enough to be distinguished in agarose gel electrophoresis. In contrast, sex identification in Golden eagles with ARMS technique was fast, reliable and useful, obtaining a difference of more than 60 bp between CHD-W and CHD-Z that allows discriminating directly the alleles in a simple agarose gel. The PCA analysis of morphometric characteristics indicated three significant morphological patterns that differentiated males from females.

The Rhodniini tribe consists of genus Rhodnius and Psammolestes. The two genera have the same morphological characteristics in the testicular follicles (Table 1), supporting the ancestry monophyletic of tribe [10]. On the other hand, the genus Triatoma and Meccus, which have long been considered synonymous by some researchers, not present differences in the disposition of size the tubules follicular (Table 1).

Eusocial queen polyandry increases genetic diversity within colonies, and genetically diverse colonies presumably suffer less from omnipresent parasites than genetically homogeneous colonies. So eusocial queen polyandry may have evolved in response to parasite load. Ewald’s theory of the evolution of virulence specifies conditions favoring the evolution of virulent, damaging parasites. Applying these ideas to parasites of ants, it is inferred that parasites are more virulent, and hence queen-polyandry is more often expected, when colonies are larger, when colonies are founded dependently, and when colonies are mobile or nomadic. An analysis of an ant-database supports these predictions. Further analyses, preferably using a generally accepted database, seem valuable.

Fumigant toxicity and repellent activity of Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam. (Rutaceae) leaf and fruit extracts were screened against Callosobruchus maculatus (F.), Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) adults. All the three solvent extracts of leaf and fruits recorded mortality and repellency against the three tested insects in a concentration dependent manner. C. maculatus was the most susceptible pest to the treatments. Lethal concentrations for 50 percent mortality (LC50) of C. maculatus, S. oryzae and T. castaneum were recorded as 39.19, 44.13 and 61.10 μL/L, respectively. Diethyl ether fruit extract exhibited 100% repellent activity against C. maculatus and S. oryzae and 92% against T. castaneum adults at 20 μL concentration. These results suggested that Diethyl ether fruit extract of T. asiatica can be used as an ecofriendly fumigant and repellent against C. maculatus, S. oryzae and T. castaneum.

Saprolegnia sp. is an oomycete responsible for fresh water fish diseases causing great economical losses. There are a few effective treatments to combat saprolegniasis, being of great importance to have available tools to detect and prevent it. In some studies made with the homopteran Dactylopius coccus it was observed that its immune system reacted when it came into contact with some of the components of the fungi cell wall as n-acetylglucosamine and 1-3 glucans; with melanin formation by this can be used as a tool for the detection of water pathogens. To detect Saprolegnia sp. A preparation of hemolymph (HL) from adult female of D. coccus, was used. The hemolymph response, against the presence of the oomycete in vitro, was measured spectrophotometrically at 495 nm. The isolation strain of Saprolegnia sp. induced a reaction leading to the consumption of the pigment carminic acid, and was made from water and epidermic scrape of commercial fresh water fish tanks, obtaining a strain of Saprolegnia sp. identify by its´ reproductive structures and morphological characteristics. The strain of Saprolegnia sp. isolate induced reaction that leads the consumption of the pigment carminic acid, and as a consequence the formation of melanin, having the capacity to identify the presence of Saprolegnia from the amount of 5 to 282 zoospores. There is important to have quick methods to detect and prevent infections avoiding massive loses of fish production. In this work we propose a tool for its detection that does not require expensive material for the application.

Phlebotominae sand flies are natural hosts of various microorganisms including etiological agents of diseases of medical and veterinary importance such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa. Parasites of the genus Leishmania is widely spread around the world and are pathogenic to man, wild and domestic animals with a variety of species and, in most cases, a specific vectors. In the Neotropical region nearly 530 species of sand flies are known and this current review updates the information on the vectors of leishmaniases in the Americas.

Vector borne diseases are affecting millions of people annually. Entomopathogenic fungi toxicity on malaria vectors increase mortality rates, and are less effective on nontarget organisms, thus representing a control measure that could be used in integrated programmes. Before metabolites of entomopathogenic fungi can be integrated into control programmes, an effective delivery system must be developed. In the laboratory, Metarhizium anisopliae were cultured in complete broth media. All instars of Anopheles stephensi and aquatic non-target organisms were passively treated with culture metabolites by different concentrations. The mortality values were subjected by probit analysis for a period of 24, 48 and 72 hours, respectively. Fugal filtrated metabolites significantly increased mortality in the exposed larvae of malaria mosquitoes and had a less adverse effect on nontarget organisms. The highest LC99 (663.77 ppm) values were observed in fourth instars of A. stephensi and found lowest LC99 (254.09 ppm) values in first instars. First instars tolerated applications better than other instars. A positive correlation was found between concentrations of fungal filtrate and percentages mortalities for the all instars of malaria vector. All nontarget organisms were not found susceptible at lower concentrations. Our study marks the first to use of extracellular secondary metabolites of entomopathogenic fungus against all instars of A. stephensi and nontarget organisms. The good biological stability of extracellular metabolites makes this a promising alternative to mycelium and conidial based larvicides. It could be regarded as fungal –based natural larvicides for the use of vector control strategy.