A new defoliating threat to eucalyptus plantations: biology and foliar consumption of Physocleora dukinfeldia (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) Paula Gregorini Silva, Aline Marques Pinheiro, Thais Lohaine Braga Santos, Laura Vilas Bôas Gianezi, Daniel Somma Araújo, Bruna Ferreira Anjos, Carlos Gilberto Raetano, Carlos Frederico Wilcken Peerj, 2026 The defoliator Physocleora dukinfeldia Schaus 1897 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) was recently reported attacking Eucalyptus urograndis (Myrtaceae) plantations in Brazil, raising concerns about its potential impact on commercial forestry. In this context, early characterization of pest biology plays a critical role in understanding host-use patterns and forecasting potential impacts on forest ecosystems. This study aimed to characterize the biology and foliar consumption of P. dukinfeldia on E. urograndis and its native host, Schinus terebinthifolia (Anacardiaceae), by recording molting, mortality, pupation, and emergence of imago, measuring larval head capsule width, pupal weight, and size, and calculating stage duration and viability under controlled conditions. The insect completed its life cycle on both host plants, with significantly longer development time and reduced pupal viability observed on E. urograndis . Although larval survival was low on both host species, nearly one-third of the individuals successfully reached adulthood. No significant differences in leaf consumption were detected between the two eucalyptus species evaluated in this study. These findings indicate that P. dukinfeldia has the biological capacity to adapt to eucalyptus and should be closely monitored in forest production areas. This is the first report to detail the life cycle and feeding behavior of this species on eucalyptus, providing critical baseline information for future pest management strategies.
Sublethal effect of neonicotinoids and lambda-cyhalothrin on the feeding behavior of Euschistus heros Fabricius (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Adilson Massami Nakaghi, Vinícius Fernandes Canassa, Aline Marques Pinheiro, Rodrigo Donizeti Faria, Felipe Savieto Furquim de Souza, Carlos Gilberto Raetano, Caio Antonio Carbonari Revista De Agricultura Neotropical, 2025 Soybean plants (Glycine max) L. Merrill are often attacked by various pests from planting to harvest. Damage can affect the root system, the main stem, leaves, flowers, and pods. Among the pests associated with soybeans, the stink bug group is noteworthy because it includes one of the most economically damaging pests, the Neotropical brown stinkbug, (Euschistus heros) Fabricius (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). The present study aimed to evaluate the mortality and possible sublethal effects of dinotefuran, thiamethoxam, and lambda-cyhalothrin on E. heros in soybean pods under laboratory conditions. The first bioassay aimed to assess the sublethal effects on the neotropical brown stink bug estimating the LC10 and LC25 values. The estimated LC10 and LC25 for dinotefuran were 1.31 and 5.41 g of active ingredient (a.i.) ha-1; thiamethoxam were 0.37 and 2.74 g a.i. ha-1, and lambda-cyhalothrin were 10.65 and 76.58 g a.i. ha-1. The feeding behavior studies were conducted in Petri dishes consisting of two pods and five adults of E. heros. The treatments were applied to the pronotum of each insect using the LC10 and LC25. Evaluations were performed by noting the number of insects from each Petri dish present on the pods at 10, 30, 45, 60, 120, and 180 minutes after application. The consumption of the pods of the different treatments was assessed for 180 minutes, evaluating the number of insect punctures, the total feeding time per insect, the feeding time per puncture, and mortality. The low concentrations of dinotefuran and lambda-cyhalothrin (LC10 and LC25) reduced the time adults of E. heros spent on the pods and their feeding times.
