Anticontaminantes alternativos como substitutos ao formaldeído na dieta artificial para criação de insetos

Abstract

Formaldehyde has been widely used as an anticontaminat in artificial diets for insect breeding; however, this substance has high. The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of anticontaminant products: AAS (acetylsalicylic acid) (1g and 2g/diet), sorbic acid (1,85g and 3.7g/diet) and benzoic acid 1,85g and 3,7g/diet), in addition to the standard formaldehyde (1,7mL/diet) and a control to replace the use of formaldehyde in the artificial diet for the creation of Diatraea saccharalis and to verify if there is effect in their biological characteristics. Alternative products replacing formaldehyde and the same doses/concentrations were also tested in the artificial diet for the creation of Helicoverpa armigera by verifying the effects on their biological characteristics. Eggs and caterpillars of D. saccharalis were submitted to parasitism in order to evaluate the effect of the alternative anticontaminants used in their diet on the biological characteristics of Trichogramma galloi and Cotesia flavipes. D. saccharalis caterpillars were fed diets containing different contaminants, being evaluated the contamination inside breeding tubes, and several biological characteristics of the different phases of their development. The same methodology was used for the tests with H. armigera. After reproducing D. saccharalis on artificial diet with different anticontaminants eggs and caterpillars were exposed to T. galloi and C. flavipes females for evaluation of parasitism, emergence, progeny, sex ratio, longevity and cycle length (egg-adult). The products tested may replace formaldehyde in the artificial diet of D. saccharalis, however, acetylsalicylic acid is considered the lowest dose tested (1g / diet) as the most adequate since this product is easily accessible and inexpensive. The higher doses / concentrations of the products tested may replace formaldehyde in the artificial diet of H. armigera because they ensure greater efficiency in the control of microorganisms. However, benzoic acid at the highest tested concentration (3.7 g) is considered to be the most suitable. The use of alternative antioxidants to formaldehyde in the artificial diet for the creation of D. saccharalis is feasible for the production of the parasotoids T. galloi and C. flavipes.