Fisiologia do inseto Rhynchophorus palmarum : avaliação de reservas energéticas e caracterização de atividade triacilglicerol-lipase

Abstract

The Rhynchophorus palmarum is the main coleobroca affecting palms. The infestation of cultivated land of palm trees by R. palmarum is causing great economic losses for producers in recent years, because this insect is the vector nematode Bursaphelenchus cocophilus, causal agent of red ring disease. Control of this pest is being accomplished by mechanical removal with the help of traps that use aggregation pheromone to facilitate the capture or use of entomopathogenic fungi. Due to the lack of ways to control insect biology has been studied to identify new targets for control. Digestive enzymes are important targets because they are indispensable for the development of the insect throughout its stages. The activity of triacylglycerol-lipase (TAG-lipase) was characterized in different digestive tissues of the insect, as an important component for digestion and energy mobilization in insects, since lipids are the main components of their diet. Enzyme inhibition tests were performed with guanylhydrazones that demonstrated significant inhibition of enzyme activity. Thus, TAGlipase may be new target for vector control and further studies are needed.