Automated Barotmetric Chamber for Entomology Experiments: Arthropods' Behavior and Insect-Plant Interactions  
[PERSON]  
1 Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz' (ESALQ), Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Piractaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (C.M.C. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (E.A.G.S. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (J.M.S.B.) [PERSON]  
2 Faculdade de Engeniria Agricola (FEAGR), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-875, SP, Brazil  
however, there are variations which can be divided into regular and irregular. Regular variations are related to changes in altitude--the pressure decreases at higher elevations and vice versa--and to semi-daily variations due to heating and cooling of air [5]. Above sea level, atmospheric pressure drops about 10 hPa per 100 m of increased altitude [7; 8]. Irregular variations are related to weather changes due to the passage of pressure systems [5]. Low-pressure systems are called cyclones and tend to produce storms. In these systems, the hot air near the surface moves inward, resulting in a convergent flow. Since rising air results in the formation of clouds and precipitation, a low-pressure system is usually associated with adverse weather conditions involving strong winds and storms [5]. In a high-pressure system, called an anticyclone, there is divergent flow near the earth's surface. As the descending air is compressed and heated, the formation of clouds and precipitation is less likely to occur [7]. Recent studies have shown that adverse weather conditions, often associated with barometric pressure changes, can affect reproductive success, food availability, and/or habitat adequacy [9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22]. Insect behaviors, such as flying, oviposition, parasitism, mating/calling, response to semiochemicals, and others, might be influenced by barometric pressure. Parasitoid females of _Trichogramma pretiosum_ ([PERSON]) and _T. evanescens_ ([PERSON]) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) immediately diminished flight initiation at the start of rapid pressure changes, probably as an attempt to avoid risk of death or uncontrolled flight during upcoming adverse weather conditions [9]. Flight initiation of the psyllid _Diaphorina citri_ changed in response to variations in barometric pressure. _D. citri_ dispersed more as barometric pressure increased and less as it decreased [10]. The parasitoid _Aphidius nigripes_ ([PERSON]) (Hymenoptera: Aphidiinae) also showed a decrease in flight initiation when the barometric pressure varied by 5 hPa, and the chemical communication of this parasitoid was also affected by variations in barometric pressure [11]. A similar pattern was observed in the curculinoid _Contrachelus neuphar_ ([PERSON]) (Coleoptera: Curculinoidae), whose discrimination of host plant volatiles was affected [12]. An increase in daily response to infochemicals by _Cotesia glomerata_ ([PERSON]) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was associated with a daily increase in barometric pressure [13]. Regarding the oviposition behavior of _Pieris rapae_ ([PERSON]) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), _Contrachelus neuphar_ ([PERSON]) (Coleoptera: Curculinoidae), and _Leptopilina heterotoma_ ([PERSON]) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae), a higher number of eggs were laid under low barometric pressure [12; 14; 15]. Mating and calling behaviors were also affected by barometric pressure in _Pseudaletia unipuncta_ (Lepidoptera: Notcuidae) and _Macrosiphum euphorbiae_ (Hemiptera: Aphidiidae) [16]. In _Franklinella schultzei_ ([PERSON]) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), only rapid pressure drops, like cyclones, resulted in a lower number of matings [17]. In _Diaphorina citri_ ([PERSON]) (Hemiptera: Liviidae), mating was reduced due to variations in barometric pressure [18]. Several other studies show the effect of barometric pressure on shelter-seeking behavior, adult emergence, foraging and defense by social insects, behavioral learning, and others [17; 19; 20; 21].