Parasitoidismo natural em Erinnyis ello LINNAEUS, 1758 (LEPIDOPTERA: SPHINGIDAE) na cultura da mandioca

Abstract

Brazil is the fourth largest producer of cassava in the world and the State of Santa Catarina stands out for having a production above the Brazilian average. The hornworm Erinnyis ello Linnaeus, 1758 (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) has been causing serious damage to Brazilian production, considered the main insect-pest of the crop, consuming 10 to 12 leaves to complete its cycle, which limits up to 45% productivity. This species can be controlled naturally by natural enemies occurring in the region. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the natural parasitoidism that occurs in the hornworm caterpillar. The collections were carried out in the experimental area of the Federal University of Fronteira Sul, Chapecó-SC Campus, in a 768 m² cassava plantation. The collected caterpillars were individualized in plastic cups of 500 mL and conditioned in the laboratory of Botany, Ecology and Entomology with temperature of 25 ± 2 ºC and relative humidity 60 ± 10%. The caterpillars were fed once a day until the emergence of the parasitoids or until they pupate. The parasitoids were sent to the National Research Institute of the Amazon for taxonomic identification. A total of 741 caterpillars were collected, 79 of which were parasitized by hymenoptera of three families (Chalcididae 0.6%, Eulophidae 1.9% and Ichneumonidae 8.2%) and 16 parasitized by Diptera of the Tachinidae family (2.2%). The parasitoid Cryptophion guilhermoi showed the highest percentage of natural parasitoidism (8.1%) followed by tachinids (2.2%), Euplectrus floryae (1.8%), then the genus Brachymeria sp. with two individuals (0.3%) and Conura sp., Melanosmicra sp., Charops sp. and Eulophidae sp.1 (unidentified) with one specimen at all samples (0.15%). The percentage of natural parasitoidism in the larval phase of E. ello is 13%.