Bioecologia de Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Acari : Eriophyidae) e de seus potenciais predadores

Abstract

Aceria guerreronis Keifer is an important pest of coconut in the Americas, Africa, and Asia that causes severe injuries to the fruit. Several studies have been conducted to gather basic information to help with control this pest. The objectives of this study were: (i) to develop and validate a diagrammatic scale of by A. guerreronis, (ii) to study the distribution of A. guerreronis and Neoseiulus baraki Athias-Henriot through bunches of different ages, (iii) to study the dispersal strategies A. guerreronis, and (iv) to verify what are the food sources for Proctolaelaps bulbosus Moraes, Reis & Gondim Jr. on coconut plants. The results showed that it is possible to estimate the population of A. guerreronis in fruits with the developed through diagrammatic scale of damage, from which a relationship between infestation level and damage showed high accuracy. Fruits with 16% of damage presented the greatest population of A. guerreronis, which was verified in fruits of the 4th bunch. From this bunch, a significant reduction in the population of A. guerreronis occurs due to the growth of N. baraki population, the reduced proportion of non-necrotic tissue in the perianth, and the increased-lignin content of these tissues. A. guerreronis walks to disperse at short distances, particularly during the night. It can walk either among fruits from the same bunch or fruits of different ages on the same plant. For longer distances, the pest uses wind as a means of dispersal, and the phoresy is a casual and irrelevant process. P. bulbosus feeds on A. guerreronis in coconut crops, which is suitable for development and reproduction, suggesting that this predator may play an important role in reducing the population of the pest in the field.