The German cockroach, <i>Blattella germanica</i>, is a common insect pest in the United States that causes aesthetically unpleasing collections of feces on household surfaces including walls, floors and furniture (Nalyanya et al. 2009, Pomés et al. 2002). The German cockroach is economically and medically significant not only because it contaminates food with feces, but also because the German cockroach is a physical and mechanical carrier of pathogenic bacteria, viruses and intestinal parasites (Hamu et al. 2014). In addition to being a vector, the German cockroach also produces allergenic “Bla g” proteins in multiple tissues and in its feces, including the inactive aspartic protease Bla g 2 (Arruda et al. 1995, Pomés et al. 2002). Bla g 2 has been documented by Arruda et al. (1995) to exist in several German cockroach tissues, however the abundance of Bla g 2 in adult male-exclusive structures known German cockroach tergal glands was not known. Tergal glands are structures found in numerous insect species that may contain proteins, sugars, and pheromones, and German cockroach tergal glands secrete a feeding stimulant that is consumed during courtship as well as outside of the context of courtship by conspecifics of differing sexes and life stages. Because of this wanted to assess if Bla g 2 was a constituent of the tergal glands. Furthermore, although Bla g 2 protein expression has been detected in several cockroach tissues, studies that link protein expression in various life stages and tissues with mRNA and protein abundance profiles have not been conducted. The goals of my dissertation were to measure the relative abundances of <i>Bla g 2</i> mRNA and protein in different tissues and life stages, as well as identify all the proteins in the tergal glands, including the proteins that interact with Bla g 2. The molecular tools used to complete these objectives included RT-qPCR, Western blotting/ immunoblotting, co-immunoprecipitation, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). I found that Bla g 2 protein was detected in each tissue analyzed, including the tergal glands, and that protein expression was relatively high in adult males and their tergal glands in comparison to nymphs and females. <i>Bla g</i> <i>2</i> mRNA transcript levels were also relatively high in male tergal glands and adult males. My proteomic analysis detected three isoforms of Bla g 2 in the tergal gland secretions. <div><br></div><div>Detection of multiple isoforms in the tergal gland secretions prompted me to perform LC-MS peptide sequencing with entire tergal glands, and I was able to identify not only Bla 2 isoforms, but other protein isoforms present in the glands. Because isoforms are proteins with similar peptide sequences that originate from the same gene or gene family but typically have different structures and functions, assessing the identities and abundances of allergen isoforms that may reside in the tergal glands helped to inform me of the medical significance of the tergal glands. I was able to detect 608 proteins in the tergal glands, and LC-MS of the tergal gland secretions alone detected 303 proteins. In the co-immunoprecipitation experiments, I was also able to detect proteins that exclusively co-immunoprecipitate with Bla g 2 in the tergal glands, despite being present in the male and gravid female whole bodies as well.<br></div><div><br></div><div>I used TargetP-2.0, a bioinformatics prediction server, to identify which proteins in the tergal gland secretions were actually transported from tissue specific cells to secretions due to the presence of a signal peptide. This method was used to filter out proteins that may have contaminated the secretions from external sources, such as the wings or feces, and to filter out proteins that originated from damaged or apoptotic tergal gland cells. I also used Blast2GO, bioinformatics software that calculates the functional and locational annotations of proteins, to annotate the proteins that were profiled in the tergal glands. The data show that proteolysis is the most common biological process in the tergal gland secretion proteins that were predicted to have a signal peptide. I also found that translation is the most common biological process in the tergal glands.<br></div><div><br></div><div>In conclusion, my research on the inactive aspartic protease Bla g 2 has led to novel findings including: (i)<i> Bla g 2 </i>mRNA expression profiles in multiple <i>B. germanica</i> tissues, life stages, and sexes, (ii) Bla g 2 protein expression profiles in multiple <i>B. germanica</i> tissues, life stages, and sexes, (iii) Identities of proteins in the tergal gland secretions and tergal glands, (iv) Identities of proteins that co-immunoprecipitate with Bla g 2 in the tergal glands, adult male whole body and gravid female whole body, (v) and annotation of the molecular functions, biological processes, and cellular components proteins found in the tergal glands.<br></div>

Diss. (sammanfattning). Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2003. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2004. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2004. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Alnarp : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2004. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Lic.-avh. Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2006. / Härtill 2 uppsatser. Felaktigt institutionsnamn i publikationen. Rätt namn: Department of Entomology.

Submitted by EDUARDO LIMA NUNES null (dunlima@gmail.com) on 2016-11-07T16:51:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Eduardo_Lima_Nunes.pdf: 1743275 bytes, checksum: 6e11685b09f43aa5c435f9ae32c20e29 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-11-10T16:27:04Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 nunes_el_me_jabo.pdf: 1743275 bytes, checksum: 6e11685b09f43aa5c435f9ae32c20e29 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-10T16:27:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 nunes_el_me_jabo.pdf: 1743275 bytes, checksum: 6e11685b09f43aa5c435f9ae32c20e29 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-10-07 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A soja é uma das culturas mais relevantes do Brasil, sendo responsável por 49% da área plantada no país, e vem apresentando crescimento quanto sua produção acada ano. Entre as pragas mais importantes da cultura está a lagarta-da-soja, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner, 1818 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), responsável por até 100% de desfolha. Para que o controle seja satisfatório, técnicas de manejo devem ser elaboradas com base no conhecimento do comportamento das pragas no campo, como a sua distribuição espacial, por exemplo. Alguns métodos como a geoestatística são eficientes para a elaboração do mapeamento de uma praga ou inimigo natural na cultura, e complementa as estratégias de manejo integrado de pragas, apresentando grande potencial de aplicação para o estudo do comportamento de insetos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a distribuição espacial da lagarta-da-soja utilizando técnicas de geoestatística, em uma área plantada com a cultivar M 7908 RR durante a safra agrícola 2014/2015 na FCAV/UNESP Jaboticabal - SP com 0,8 hectares, dividida em 80 parcelas de 100 m² (10 m x 10 m). Em cada parcela foram examinados ao acaso, cinco pontos amostrais semanalmente por meio da técnica do pano de batida em 2 metros lineares durante os estádios vegetativo e reprodutivo da cultura. A análise geoestatística permite a elaboracão de semivariogramas experimentais, com ajuste de modelos matemáticos, com o objetivo de estudar a dependência espacial das pragas na área em estudo. Observou-se que a lagarta-da-soja varia sua população quando há altas temperaturas e precipitação quase nula, que pode estar relacionado com más condições de tempo para o aparecimento de fungos entomopatogênicos, fazendo com que essa flutuação no decorrer das datas de amostragem ao invés de manter um declínio constante, aumente em um momento que existam essas condições citadas anteriormente de tempo seco e quente. A lagarta se comporta de maneira agregada, fato comprovado pela evidente existência de dependência espacial com alcance variando de 7 a 55,42 m. Nas amostragens com baixa infestação, não foi possível verificar a existência de dependência espacial. / Soybran is one of the most important crops in Brazil, accounting for 49% of the planted area of grains in the country, and has shown growth as its production for each year. Among the most important pests of culture is the velvetbean-caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner, 1818 (Lepidoptera: erebidae), responsible for up to 100% defoliation. So that the control is satisfactory, management techniques should be developed based on knowledge of the behavior of pests in the field, as their spatial distribution, for example. Methods such as geostatistical are efficient for the development of mapping a plague or natural enemy in the culture, and complements the integrated management strategies pest, with great potential for application to the study of insect behavior. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of velvetbean-caterpillar using geostatistics techniques in a planted area with grow crops M 7908 RR during the 2014/2015 in FCAV/UNESP Jaboticabal - SPwith 0,8 hectare, divided into 80 plots of 100 m² ( 10 mx 10 m). In each plot were examined at random five sampling points weekly through technical beat cloth on 2 meters during the vegetative and reproductive stages of culture. The geostatistical analysis allows the elaboration of experimental semivariogram, with adjustment of mathematical models in order to study the spatial dependence of the pests in the study area . It was observed that the soybean-caterpillar varies its population when there are high temperatures and almost no precipitation, which may be related to bad weather conditions for the onset of entomopathogenic fungi, making this fluctuation during the sampling dates when instead of maintaining a steady decline, increase at a time when there are those above conditions dry and hot weather. The caterpillar behaves in aggregate, a fact evidenced by the apparent existence of spatial dependence with a range varying from 7 to 55,42 m. In the samples with low infestation, could not verify the existence of spatial dependence. / CAPES: 132264/2014-5

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-05-31T12:20:10Z No. of bitstreams: 1 newtonjosedejesussilva.pdf: 2463847 bytes, checksum: 0f82240e71aba8ce6325845e5404dbf3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-07-02T12:27:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 newtonjosedejesussilva.pdf: 2463847 bytes, checksum: 0f82240e71aba8ce6325845e5404dbf3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-02T12:27:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 newtonjosedejesussilva.pdf: 2463847 bytes, checksum: 0f82240e71aba8ce6325845e5404dbf3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-10 / CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / O Brasil ocupa atualmente o primeiro lugar na lista dos produtores de cana-de-açúcar, sendo o estado de Minas Gerais segundo maior produtor da região sudeste. O comportamento predatório das vespas sociais está intimamente relacionado à fase larval de insetos pertencentes à ordem Lepidoptera, muitas delas, pragas em sistemas agrícolas. Este trabalho objetivou conhecer a diversidade de vespas sociais (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Polistinae) em cultivo de cana-de-açúcar, identificando quais espécies são capazes de nidificar neste ambiente, bem como analisar sua propensão a mudanças na diversidade e abundância, em face às fases de desenvolvimento da cana e às variáveis climáticas (temperatura (°C), umidade relativa do ar (%) e precipitação (mm)). Complementarmente foi avaliada a eficiência das formas de amostragem utilizadas. As coletas foram efetuadas de julho de 2010 a junho de 2011, sendo baseadas em dois métodos de amostragem (armadilhas atrativas contendo suco de maracujá, água com açúcar, caldo de sardinha e água e buscas ativas). Neste estudo foram coletadas 1091 vespas sociais, distribuídas em sete gêneros e 20 espécies, sendo Agelaia vicina a mais abundante. Pelo índice de eficiência, a busca ativa foi o método com melhor desempenho capturando 90% das espécies, seguida por suco de maracujá (35%) caldo de sardinha (20%) e água com açúcar (5%). Foi observada estabilidade na curva acumulativa de espécies a partir do oitavo mês de amostragens e uma tendência a assíntota na curva de variância confeccionada pelo estimador de diversidade Jackknife. Das espécies estimadas, 95% foram amostradas, indicando um esforço amostral próximo do ideal. A maior riqueza foi encontrada nos meses quente/úmido (outubro/2010 a abril/11), com pico referente ao mês de outubro de 2010 (12 espécies). Não foi encontrada correlação significativa entre nenhuma das variáveis climáticas avaliadas (temperatura (°C), umidade relativa do ar (%) e precipitação (mm) e a riqueza de espécies (r=0,2379; p=0,4566), (r=-0,5208; p=0,0825) e (r=0,0860; p=0,7905) assim como entre variáveis climáticas e a abundância das vespas, (rs=-0,3713; p=0,2347), (rs=-0,4476; p=0,1445) e (rs=-0,3916; p=0,2080). No entanto, houve significativa correlação negativa entre riqueza de vespas e altura da cana-de-açúcar (r= -0,4360; p= 0,05). Das espécies com nidificações encontradas em meio ao cultivo, Mischocyttarus drewseni e Polistes simillimus, foram qualificadas como constantes, ao final deste estudo. Foi ainda observada presença das vespas sociais durante todo o período de estudos, possuindo picos máximos de abundância e diversidade em meses coincidentes 23 aos períodos de brotamento e desenvolvimento da cultura de cana-de-açúcar. Das espécies amostradas, ao menos nove são conhecidas como predadoras de insetos praga em sistemas agrícolas, sendo que cinco destas tem como parte de sua fonte alimentar, lagartas de insetos fitófagos em culturas de cana-de-açúcar, sugerindo que as vespas sociais têm potencial para serem utilizadas como inimigos naturais de insetos pragas em culturas similares. / Brazil is nowadays the world's first sugar cane producer, being the state of Minas Gerais the second biggest in the southwest region. The predatory behavior of social wasps is intrinsically connected to the larval phase of insects of the Lepidotera order, many of them being pests in agricultural systems. This research’s objective is the know the variety of social wasps in the growing of sugar cane, identifying species that are cable to nest in such places. Also to analyze its tendency to change in diversity and number, regarding the sugar cane's growing phases and the weather variations (temperature (°C), relative humidity (%) and precipitation (mm)).The methods of sampling efficiency was also evaluated. The samplings took place between July 2010 and June 2011, using two different methods [attractant snares (passion-fruit juice, water and sugar and sardine broth) and active search]. Within the study 1091 social wasp were collected, ranging between seven genres and 20 species, Agelaia vicina being the most common. By its efficiency index, the active search was the most effectual method attracting 90% of the species, followed by the passion-fruit juice (35%), sardine broth (20%) and water and sugar (5%). Stability was observed on the cumulative species curve starting in the eighth month of sampling and a asymptote tendency on the variance curve made by the Jackknife diversity estimator, indicating satisfactory sampling effort. The Biggest species richness was found during hot/humid months (October/2010 to April 2011), with maximum being in October 2010 (12 species). Relation between the observed climatic variables was not found (temperature (°C), relative humidity (%) and precipitation (mm) and species richness (r=0,2379; p=0,4566), (r=-0,5208; p=0,0825) e (r=0,0860; p=0,7905) so as, between climatic variables and abundance of wasps, (rs=-0,3713; p=0,2347), (rs=-0,4476; p=0,1445) and (rs=-0,3916; p=0,2080), but there was a discernible negative co-relation between the number of wasps and the sugar cane's height (r= -0,4360; p= 0,05).In the end of the research, between the species in which nests were found around the growing area, Mischocyttarus drewseni e Polistes simillimus, were qualified as constant. It was also observed the constant presence of social wasps throughout the whole research period, having maximum number of abundance and diversity in the months of sprouting and development of the sugarcane crop growing. From the sampled species, at least nine are known as pest insects’ predators in agricultural systems, five of them having as part of its source of nourishment, caterpillars of herbivore insects in sugar cane growing areas, 25 suggesting that social wasps have potential to be utilized as natural enemies of pest insects in crops of similar characteristics.

Com o objetivo de analisar a fauna de himenópteros parasitoides (Hymenoptera:Chalcididae) e de coleobrocas (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) associados à cultura de T. grandis, foram utilizadas 5 armadilhas de Malaise instaladas no interior da floresta plantada. As coletas foram realizadas, semanalmente, de outubro de 2009 a setembro de 2010, em área de reflorestamento situado no município de Cáceres, MT. Foram analisados os índices faunísticos de frequência, constância, abundância e dominância e também diversidade de espécies. Foram coletados 414 parasitoides; pertencentes às famílias Chalcididae e distribuídos em 3 gêneros e 16 espécies e 715 espécies de coleobrocas, pertencentes à família Cerambycidae e distribuídos em 2 subfamílias, 18 tribos, 33 gêneros e 36 espécies. As espécies de parasitoides mais abundantes foram Brachymeria pandora e Ceyxia ventrispinosa. As espécies mais abundantes de coleobrocas foram Neoclytus pusillus, Achryson surinamum, Chlorida festiva, Coleoxestia atrata, Cosmoplatidius abare, Hexoplon uncinatum e Megacyllene acuta. / This research deals with the association of parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) with wood borers (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in a commercial forest of Tectona grandis located in Cáceres, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The insects were collected by using five Malaise traps in different sites of the forest, from October 2009 to September 2010. The following indexes were analyzed: frequency, constancy, abundance, dominance and species diversity. A total of 414 Chalcididae parasitoids and 715 Cerambycidae wood borers were collected. The most abundant parasitoid species were Brachymeria pandora and Ceyxia ventrispinosa while the most wood borers ones were Neoclytus pusillus, Achryson surinamum, Chlorida festiva, Coleoxestia atrata, Cosmoplatidius abare, Hexoplon uncinatum and Megacyllene acuta.