TITLE:
Populational Fluctuation and Distribution of Epitrix spp. Foudras (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the Organic Tobacco Management in Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil
AUTHORS:
Daiana Oliveira, Kássia Cristina Freire Zilch, Fabiele Cristine Hintz, Andreas Köhler
KEYWORDS:
Tobacco Flea, Insect Pests, Phytophagous, Nicotiana tabacum
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.8 No.12,
November
30,
2017
ABSTRACT: Among the chrysomelids, some species are considered
agricultural pests, such as some representatives of Epitrix spp. Popularly known as tobacco flea, these beetles cause
damage to tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) by feeding on the leaf surface, causing injuries, reducing productivity and
the final quality of the product to be marketed. However, studies of the
biology and interactions of these individuals with the environment become
essential in order to develop effective and sustainable control measures. The
objective of this study was to analyze the distribution and population
fluctuation of Epitrix spp., as well
as to evaluate the possible influence of temperature, rainfall and adjacent
vegetation on the population dynamics of this beetle in organic tobacco growing
in the municipality of Santa Cruz of the South, RS. The collections were
carried out weekly during the 2011/2012 harvest, using Malaise and Pit-fall
traps, distributed in four points along three lines. A total of 1584
individuals belonging to the genus Epitrix were collected, and their greatest abundance was observed in late January and
early February 2012 due to climatic factors, such as rainfall and temperature,
favorable to the development of specimens and the tobacco leaf harvesting
reduced the availability of food and conditioned a greater movement of these
individuals in the crop. The results presented here are of great importance for
deciding the best methodology for controlling the smoke flea, as well as
knowing the influence of abiotic factors on the behavior of these organisms in
the field.