Diversity and occurrence of insects associated with passion fruit (Passiflora sp.) in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais State (MG), Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v14i12.50252Keywords:
Integrated pest management, Passion fruit, Monitoring, Plant resistance to insects.Abstract
The present study aimed to survey insect fauna in different passion fruit cultivars in the region of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and to determine whether any insect group is predominant in passion fruit crops within the study area. The project was conducted in an organic passion fruit orchard at Fazenda Sobradinho, belonging to IFTM/ Uberlândia Campus (MG), comprising six different cultivars: FB 300 (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa), FB 200 (P. edulis f. flavicarpa), Gigante Amarelo (P. edulis f. flavicarpa), Mel do Cerrado (P. alata), Pérola do Cerrado (P. setacea), and BRS Sertão Forte (P. cincinnata). The insect survey was carried out from May to September 2023, during the productive phase of the plants, using active sampling through biweekly visits to the study area. In each planting row (i.e., each cultivar), six plants were randomly selected and thoroughly inspected. All insects found were collected using an entomological net or glass vials and subsequently identified at the order and family levels. A total of 632 insects belonging to six different orders (Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Neuroptera) were collected. Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera were the most abundant, representing 52.21% and 22.15% of the total, respectively. Hymenoptera—particularly the stingless bee Trigona spinipes—was the dominant group, attacking flowers and developing fruits, with the cultivar BRS Sertão Forte being the most affected. Lepidopterans were also recorded, especially in the cultivar FB 200. Hemiptera, Diptera, and Neuroptera exhibited low relative abundance.
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