Sustainable control of Dalbulus maidis: A field study with entomopathogenic fungi Priscilla T. N. Maia, Nathan M. Santos, Simone M. Mendes, Vinicius M. Marques, Marcos Antonio M. Fadini, et al. Entomologia Experimentalis Et Applicata, 2025 Since its first report in Brazil in 1938, Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) has been considered a secondary pest for maize. However, this insect has now become a key corn pest and the main phytosanitary threat to production in Brazil due to its potential to transmit pathogens. This study investigates sustainable tactics for managing the corn leafhopper in an integrated field approach. We evaluated the potential synergistic effects between formulations based on entomopathogenic fungi and corn hybrids with varying resistance levels to maize stunt complex. Along with assessing the incidence and severity of diseases, we evaluated the corn leafhopper's infestation in symptomatic and asymptomatic plants and the correlation with the symptoms caused by the disease at various plant development stages. We studied the following management practices, comprising applications of (i) Beauveria bassiana Balsamo (Hypocreales); (ii) B. bassiana + Cordyceps fumosorosea Wize (Hypocreales); (iii) C. fumosorosea; (iv) Metarhizium anisopliae Metschnikoff (Hypocreales); (v) M. anisopliae + B. bassiana; (vi) chemical control (methomyl—positive control). Dalbulus maidis preferentially infested the low‐resistance hybrid, and this hybrid plant also showed higher disease symptom scores. There was a significant interaction between control timing and pathogen incidence; this correlation occurred up to the V6 phenological stage. The combined management of M. anisopliae + B. bassiana and M. anisopliae (alone) resulted in a reduction in D. maidis infestation. We found lower disease scores when these treatments were applied. Our results showed that combining resistant hybrids with entomopathogens results in more productive harvests.
What Is the Relationship Between Efficacy of Seed Treatment with Insecticides Against Dalbulus maidis (Delong and Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) Healthy and Infected with Spiroplasm in the Corn Stunt Control? Ana Carolina M. Redoan, Vinicius M. Marques, Poliana S. Pereira, Ivênio R. de Oliveira, Dagma D. Silva-Araújo, et al. Insects, 2025 Seed treatments with insecticides are important tools for managing corn stunting disease complex (CSDC) transmitted by Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) by reducing the initial leafhoppers’ population and, consequently, the risk of pathogen transmission. We evaluated the effect of insecticides used in seed treatment on both healthy and spiroplasma-infected leafhoppers, the persistence of the seed treatment effect on disease symptom severity, and its impact on corn productivity. At the V2 stage, imidacloprid/thiodicarb was the most effective, resulting in 100% mortality of healthy leafhoppers and 85.7% mortality of infective ones, thus preventing spiroplasma transmission. Thiamethoxam and methomyl + fipronil/thiamethoxam showed a high total mortality after 72 h, but only for the infective leafhoppers, with a total mortality of healthy leafhoppers around 40%, reducing the number of plants with symptoms by 80% and 90%, respectively. Our results prove that there is a difference between the chemical molecules and that the infected leafhoppers are more susceptible. Insecticide seed treatment was effective until the V2 growth stage, and imidacloprid/thiodicarb was the most effective product tested. Infective leafhoppers were more susceptible to insecticide seed treatments, and the infestation by the corn leafhopper carrying spiroplasma in the early stages of plant development heavily reduced corn yield.
Agrochemical and weed influences on Neoseiulus californicus predation in soybean N. G. F. Fernandes, D. D. D. Rocha, R. R. F. Azevedo, P. T. N. Maia, M. A. M. Fadini Brazilian Journal of Biology, 2025 The olfactory system is one of the primary decision-making mechanisms in arthropod foraging. Plants emit volatile compounds when attacked by herbivores, which can directly influence predator foraging. Given the diversity of agrochemicals used in soybean cultivation, it is necessary to investigate their possible effects indirect on natural enemies. In this study, the olfactory responses of the predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus were evaluated in soybean plants infested by Tetranychus urticae in the presence of the fungicides Strobilurin and Triazole, the herbicide Glyphosate, and the invasive plant “hairy fleabane” (Conyza bonariensis). The assays were conducted in the laboratory using a Y-tube olfactometer, where the following treatments were evaluated: clean soybean × soybean + T. urticae; soybean + T. urticae × soybean + T. urticae + “hairy fleabane”; soybean + T. urticae × soybean + T. urticae + herbicide; soybean + T. urticae × soybean + T. urticae + fungicide. N. californicus prefers soybean plants infested with T. urticae. In treatments with the application of the fungicides, the herbicide, and the presence of the weed, N. californicus equally preferred plants infested with T. urticae. It is concluded that the foraging behavior of N. californicus is not influenced by the presence of the fungicides (Strobilurin and Triazole), the herbicide (Glyphosate), or “hairy fleabane” (Conyza bonariensis). Our results demonstrate that N. californicus is capable of locating T. urticae-infested plants in the presence of odors commonly found in conventional agricultural systems in soybean crops.
Sorghum genotypes with potential resistance to the aphid Melanaphis sorghi (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Alexon Fernandes Campos, Cícero Beserra de Menezes, Simone Martins Mendes, Priscilla Tavares Nascimento Maia, Isadora Cristina Martins Oliveira, et al. Revista Brasileira De Entomologia, 2025 The sorghum aphid Melanaphis sorghi (Hemiptera: Aphididae) has become the primary threat to crop production in various parts of the world. Although the combined use of organosynthetic insecticides and resistant hybrids is a common strategy in countries like the USA, Brazilian farmers face the challenge of a lack of registered active ingredients and resistant cultivars against M. sorghi. This study aimed to evaluate grain sorghum genotypes for resistance to M. sorghi infestation. In the initial screening phase, 28 genotypes were evaluated, from which eight were selected and grouped as: i) resistant to M. sorghi (BRS373, CMSXS3017, BRS310, and SC110 [control]); and ii) susceptible (CMSXS3012, 1822043, 2116017, and AG 1085), for further assessment and determination of productivity in subsequent stages. The trial was conducted in a greenhouse under controlled humidity and temperature, with three controlled artificial infestations and injury assessments every seven days. Aphid infestation primarily reduced the plant fresh weight of the plant and grain size, negatively affecting grain weight per panicle. Without M. sorghi infestation, the hybrid genotypes AG 1085, 1822043, and CMSXS3012 showed the highest grain weight; however, they were susceptible to aphids when infested. Under infestation, the most resistant genotypes with the highest grain weight values were CMSXS3017, SC110, BRS373, and BRS310. The SC110 lineage was minimally affected by aphid infestation and should be used as a source of resistance in breeding programs for aphid tolerance. The results of this study may be used to evaluate productivity losses due to sorghum aphid infestation and to propose potential resistant genetic materials. Combined with other integrated management tactics, these findings can make sorghum aphid control more precise and sustainable.
Population dynamics of Dalbulus maidis in maize: effects of time of day and sampling technique Bárbara Luísa Soares Silva, Nathalia C. Damasceno, Priscilla Tavares Nascimento Maia, Nathan Moreira Santos, Douglas Graciel dos Santos, et al. Revista Brasileira De Entomologia, 2025 Understanding the population dynamics of the corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), the vector of pathogens responsible for maize stunt diseases, is essential for establishing an integrated management program for this pest. Defining an easy, fast, accurate and representative sampling method for D. maidis would allow both population estimation for monitoring and control decision making. Therefore, we evaluated three sampling methods (yellow sticky traps, direct whorl counts and sweep nets), time of day and variations in climatic factors on D. maidis captures. For this purpose, D. maidis populations in field maize plants at phenological stages V3 to V9 were monitored from September 2022 to May 2024. The numbers of leafhoppers captured by the three sampling methods were correlated with climatic variations during this period. The sampling method affected the number of individuals collected. During the sampling period, 11,520 D. maidis individuals were captured. Among these, yellow sticky traps recorded 957 individuals. Direct whorl counts registered 2,999 individuals in the morning and 2,723 in the afternoon. Sweep net sampling recorded 2,415 individuals collected in the morning and 2,426 in the afternoon. Direct whorl observations showed positive correlations with temperature, relative humidity and accumulated rainfall. The results show that the active direct whorl counting method is the most efficient for monitoring and observing population variations of the corn leafhopper, outperforming sweep nets and yellow sticky traps. This study highlights the importance of adjusting monitoring strategies for more accurate population estimates and control recommendations in integrated management programs for the corn leafhopper D. maidis.
What is the potential of sugarcane borer in reducing sorghum fitness and grain production? Camila da Silva Fernandes Souza, Bruno Henrique Sardinha de Souza, Marcos Antônio Matiello Fadini, Josélia Carvalho Oliveira França, Cícero Bezerra de Menezes, et al. Journal of Applied Entomology, 2024 Pest attack is an important biotic threat to sorghum productivity, and one of the main insect pests of grain sorghum is sugarcane borer (SCB) Diatraea saccharalis. Despite the importance of this insect species, little is known about the relationship between SCB infestation and reduction in sorghum grain yield, as well as on the gain threshold and economic injury level for decision making of pest control. This study evaluated the influence of SCB infestation on plant performance and grain production in three commercial grain sorghum hybrids. Hybrids AG1090, BRS 373, and DKB 590 were planted in three crop seasons in Sete Lagoas, Brazil, and six treatments were assessed in the experiments, consisting of three grain sorghum hybrids with and without the insecticide chlorantraniliprole at 52.5 g a.i. ha−1 under SCB natural infestation. The parameters evaluated on sorghum plants were the length of tunnels, plant height, length and weight of panicles, stem borer injury, and grain yield. The infestation of SCB was higher when sorghum plants were not treated with insecticide, resulting in lower productivity. The use of insecticide increased plant height, reduced tunnel length, and increased panicle length and weight. Hybrids only affected panicle weight. The hybrid that presented the highest panicle weight when using the insecticide was AG 1090. Hybrids AG 1090 and DKB 590 showed reduced grain production with increasing gallery length, whereas BRS 373 did not show a significant correlation, which may suggest a certain level of tolerance to SCB attack. This is the first study that determines the gain threshold and economic injury level and that effectively shows how much grain yield is lost by SCB attack in grain sorghum hybrids.
Cover plants with potential to reduce two-spotted spider mite population in soybean Luana Cristina Alves Ribeiro, Felipe Lemos, Dalila Dominique Duarte Rocha, Marcos Antônio Matiello Fadini Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira, 2023 The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of cover plants in reducing the population of the two-spotted spider mite, Te t r a n y c h u s urticae, in soybean. Seven host plants – cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), Urochloa ruziziensis, crotalaria (Crotalaria juncea), corn (Zea mays), radish (Raphanus sativus), soybean (Glycine max), and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) – were evaluated for their effect on T. urticae biological parameters (oviposition, development stages, and survival) and preference for volatile odors (using a Y-tube olfactometer). Tetranychus urticae preferred cotton and showed a higher population growth rate on this host plant. The survival and oviposition of T. urticae was prolonged in radish and crotalaria plants, whereas juveniles did not complete their immature development on U. ruziziensis leaves. No preference was observed between the volatile odors of U. ruziziensis, radish, and crotalaria. Urochloa ruziziensis can reduce T. urticae populations in soybean plants.
Transgenic Bt maize does not affect the soil ant community Valéria Cristina Barbosa de Assis, Pedro Guedes Chagas, Cidália Gabriela Santos Marinho, Marcos Antônio Matiello Fadini, Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie, et al. Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira, 2018
The effects of depth and distribution of liquid insecticides for the control of mound termites in pastures (Isoptera: Termitidae) Neotropical Entomology, 2001
Cytogenetics of some ant species of the tribe Attini (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the region of Viçosa, MG Brazilian Journal of Genetics, 1996
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Sorghum genotypes with potential resistance to the aphid Melanaphis sorghi (Hemiptera: Aphididae) AF Campos, CB Menezes, SM Mendes, PTN Maia, ICM Oliveira, ... Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 69 (4), e20250005 , 2025 2025
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Population dynamics of Dalbulus maidis in maize: effects of time of day and sampling technique BLS Silva, NC Damasceno, PTN Maia, NM Santos, DG Santos, IR Oliveira, ... Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 69 (4), e20250044 , 2025 2025
What Is the Relationship Between Efficacy of Seed Treatment with Insecticides Against Dalbulus maidis (Delong and Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) Healthy … ACM Redoan, VM Marques, PS Pereira, IR de Oliveira, DD Silva-Araújo, ... Insects 16 (7), 713 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
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Injury and damage dynamics of Diceraeus melacanthus Dallas, 1851 (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in corn subjected to early defoliation NM Santos, MAM Fadini, E Borghi, DG Santos, GS Avellar, RS Trindade, ... Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 69 (2), e20240118 , 2025 2025
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Development and validation of mathematical model for population estimation of the two-spotted spider mite in soybeans EG Souza, AJ Steidle-Neto, DC Lopes, PTN Maia, MAM Fadini Entomological Communications 6, ec06031-ec06031 , 2024 2024
What is the potential of sugarcane borer in reducing sorghum fitness and grain production? C da Silva Fernandes Souza, BHS de Souza, MAM Fadini, JCO França, ... Journal of Applied Entomology 148 (7), 818-826 , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
Protocol & Techniques EG Souza, AJ Steidle-Neto, DC Lopes, PTN Maia, MAM Fadini 2024
Cover plants with potential to reduce two-spotted spider mite population in soybean LCA Ribeiro, F Lemos, DDD Rocha, MAM Fadini Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 58, e03332 , 2023 2023 Citations: 1
Volatile compounds from soybeans under multiple on herbivores infestations attract the predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) DDD Rocha, BLF Santos, JOF Melo, PT Nascimento, MAM Fadini Brazilian Journal of Biology 83, e267598 , 2023 2023 Citations: 4
Plantas de cobertura com potencial de reduzir a população do ácaro-rajado na soja LCA Ribeiro, F Lemos, DDD Rocha, MAM Fadini Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 58, e03332 , 2023 2023
Compostos voláteis da soja sob infestação múltipla de herbívoros atraem o ácaro predador Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) DDD Rocha, BLF Santos, JOF Melo, PT Nascimento, MAM Fadini Brazilian Journal of Biology 83, e267598 , 2023 2023
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Beyond selectivity: are behavioral avoidance and hormesis likely causes of pyrethroid-induced outbreaks of the southern red mite Oligonychus ilicis? EMG Cordeiro, ILT De Moura, MAM Fadini, RNC Guedes Chemosphere 93 (6), 1111-1116 , 2013 2013 Citations: 121
A phytoseiid predator from the tropics as potential biological control agent for the spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) H Oliveira, A Janssen, A Pallini, M Venzon, M Fadini, V Duarte Biological Control 42 (2), 105-109 , 2007 2007 Citations: 107
Lethal and sub-lethal selectivity of fenbutatin oxide and sulfur to the predator Iphiseiodes zuluagai (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and its prey, Oligonychus ilicis (Acari … AV Teodoro, MAM Fadini, WÁP Lemos, RNC Guedes, A Pallini Experimental & applied acarology 36 (1), 61-70 , 2005 2005 Citations: 68
Evaluation of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus macropilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as a biological control agent of the two-spotted spider mite on strawberry plants … H Oliveira, MAM Fadini, M Venzon, D Rezende, F Rezende, A Pallini Experimental and Applied Acarology 47 (4), 275-283 , 2009 2009 Citations: 62
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Does Bacillus thuringiensis have adverse effects on the host egg location by parasitoid wasps? PT Nascimento, MAM Fadini, FH Valicente, PEA Ribeiro Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 62, 260-266 , 2018 2018 Citations: 18
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