Syrphidae is one of the most speciose families of true flies, with more than 6,100 described species and a worldwide distribution. They are important to humans because they act as crucial pollinators, biological control agents, decomposers and bioindicators. This study was conducted to determine the biology and behavior of Eupeodes corollae, which is an important pollinator and enemy of aphid, including prey consumption, mating behavior, oviposition, and predation of larvae, to provide a basis for breeding and in-depth study. Results indicated that adult life expectancies were 17.2 ± 1.2 days (n = 16) for males and 19.6 ± 1.3 days (n = 16) for females, average number of eggs laid by females was 799.2±49.9 (n=16) and the hatch rate was over 90%. Larval development required 7.9 ± 0.8 days (n = 40), and 997.9 ± 47.8 Aphis craccivora (n = 10) were consumed by each larva. Pupa lasted 7.2 ± 0.4 days (n = 40) in the root of the host plant, on the edge of the seedling basin, or 0.1–1.0 cm below the soil. Key words: Eupeodes corollae, aphid, biocontrol

The manna is a product obtained from the elaborate sap solidification that comes out from the incisions made on the stem of some species of the genus Fraxinus L. In this study, we have analyzed 12 samples of manna to determine the chemical composition. Twenty elements (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sr, U, V, Zn) were determined using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer. The results show that the most abundant elements are Fe > Rb > Al > Cu > Ba > Zn > Sr with median concentrations in the range of 0.9 – 10mg kg-1. The remaining elements exhibit median concentrations in the range of 0.0003 -0.5 mg kg-1. The manna also can be considered as good sources of essential elements for subjects with diseases related to diabetes. Moreover, the manna could be recommended for a daily diet. Keywords: Manna samples, trace elements, biomonitoring

Fluopyram is one of the widely used fungicides and it is persistence in water and soil. In this study, the photocatalytic degradation of fluopyram by TiO2 was investigated under simulated solar light irradiation. Six transformation products (TPs) were identified by means of high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and the quantum chemistry calculations (DFT and AIMD method). The formation of these TPs involved the hydroxyl-substitution of Cl atom, intramolecular cyclization, cleavage of amido bond, loss of trifluorotoluene, and attack of hydroxyl group on benzene ring. And then, a tentative pathway of the photocatalytic degradation was proposed. The toxicity of fluopyram and its TPs were predicted using in silico test. The results showed that potentially more toxic intermediates formed during photocatalytic degradation. These data suggested that more information about TPs of fluopyram and their toxicity should be obtained. Keywords: Fluopyram, Photocatalytic degradation, Toxicity, DFT, AIMD

Seasonal variation in nutrient loading in Lake Baringo were examined by investigating 10 limnological variables which are; Temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, total nitrogen (TN), nitrates (NO3), nitrites (NO2), Ammonia (NH3), total phosphates (TP) and orthophosphates (OP). Sampling was carried out in January (dry season), April (beginning of rainy season), August (mid rainy season) and October (end of rainy season) from 10 different stations and analyzed using both chemical and statistical methods. All parameters varied seasonally except salinity which was statistically significant. Temperature mean values ranged from (27.8±4.94) to (31.01±1.97), pH (7.91±0.44) to (8.44±0.59), EC (332±83.78) to (540±1.69), TDS (243.88±1.73) to (302.63±2.00), Salinity (0.08±0.05) to (0.2±2.97), TN (2.52±1.79) to (3.52±1.75), NO3 (1.21±1.22) to (2.37±1.10), NH3 (0.14±0.06) to (0.41±0.21), TP (0.74±0.33) to (0.85±0.90), OP (0.20±0.08) to (0.41±0.59) while Nitrites was below the detectable limits <0.005. This result suggests that seasonal variations had significant negative effects on water quality of the basin which is adversely impaired by discharges from agricultural, industrial and domestic sources. These findings will assist and guide management decisions. Keyword: Temporal Variation, Nutrient Loading, Pollution, Physicochemical Parameters.

The aim of this research was to compare the air temperature and relative humidity conditions at two locations in the same agro-ecological settlement: (1) a spot located in an area of Caatinga being restored using berms made of wood waste and stones, and (2) a spot located in a degraded Caatinga area, both in Brazil’s semi-arid region. The data on air temperature and relative humidity of the air were obtained from two automatic Akso AK170 thermo-hygrometers. Both spots have similar elevations but different vegetation and soil conditions. At spot 1 no temperature above 35°C was observed while at spot 2 seven temperatures above 35°C were recorded. Regarding humidity, spot 1 had 11 records for humidity lower than 30%, while spot 2 had 34 records for the same humidity percentage and in addition to that, two records for humidity below 22%, which was not observed at spot 1. It can therefore be concluded that soil recovery practices in the Caatinga using berms, together with thinning, enrichment, trimming, and cutting, promotes a cooler and more humid microclimate. Keywords: soil recovery, berms; semi-arid region, Caatinga, Brazil.