Banca de DEFESA: CAIO VICTOR DE BRITO REMIGIO

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : CAIO VICTOR DE BRITO REMIGIO
DATE: 27/02/2025
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: REMOTO - Videoconferência
TITLE:

HOW FEEDING ON APHIDS FUELS REPRODUCTION IN Eriopis connexa (COLEOPTERA: COCCINELLIDAE)

KEY WORDS:

Nutrition, factitious food, vitellogenin, nutritional signaling pathway

PAGES: 70
BIG AREA: Ciências Agrárias
AREA: Agronomia
SUBÁREA: Fitossanidade
SPECIALTY: Entomologia Agrícola
SUMMARY:

Coccinellids are widely used as biological control agents in integrated pest management. Most coccinellid species are either aphidophagous (feeding mainly on aphids) or coccidophagous (feeding primarily on scale insects), relying on a consistent supply of natural prey. However, these preys are not always readily available in the field or for laboratory rearing. Diets lacking natural prey typically impair reproductive performance, resulting in prolonged pre-oviposition periods, reduced fecundity, and lower egg viability. A key hypothesis is that vitellogenin (Vg), a critical yolk protein, is strongly influenced by dietary changes and regulated by hormonal pathways and insulin-like peptides that modulate its synthesis based on environmental conditions. This study investigated the biological and molecular effects of the absence of preferential prey on the reproduction of the neotropical ladybird Eriopis connexa (Germar). Females were fed either a combination of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller eggs and aphids [Lipaphis pseudobrassicae (Davis)] or E. kuehniella eggs exclusively. Reproductive parameters, including pre-oviposition period, egg size, fecundity, egg viability, female weight, and longevity, were evaluated. Additionally, protein, lipid, glycogen, and total sugar levels were quantified, and the expression of key genes involved in Vg and glycogen synthesis was analyzed using RT-qPCR. These findings provide valuable insights into how dietary deficiencies affect reproductive performance and could contribute to improving the mass rearing of coccinellids for integrated pest management programs.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - JOSE DIJAIR ANTONINO DE SOUZA JUNIOR
Interno - ***.976.374-** - MARCELO HENRIQUE SANTOS PAIVA - UFPE
Externo à Instituição - WENDEL JOSE TELES PONTES - UFPE