Abstract
Olive production (Olea europaea L.) is a recent activity in Brazil and studies on the adaptability of olive trees varieties in the States are required. One of the problems that can hamper the development of olive trees is the incidence of pests, such as scale insects (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha). In this study, the associated scale insect species were found in ten varieties in an olive grove located at the Research Center of the Serra do Sudeste Region (30º33'15"S, 52º23'45"W) in Brazil. The surveys were carried out twice in each season (2013-2014). Six species of armored scale insect (Diaspididae) and two soft scales (Coccidae) were determined. Saissetia oleae (Coccidae) with 88.15% and Aspidiotus nerii (Diaspididae) with 5.85% occurred in all varieties of olive trees. The varieties Arbequina, Frantoio and Cipressino were with greater richness of scale insects, the highest values of diversity occurred in Frantoio, Arbequina and Picual; in Alfafara, Arbosana and Coratina there was a high dominance of one species (S. oleae).
Highlights
The scale insects were identified on an optical microscope and incorporated to the Coccoidea collection of Entomological Museum Ramiro Gomes Costa (MRGC) of Plant Production Research Center, Department of Diagnosis and Agricultural Research – DDPA/SEAPI, Porto Alegre, Brasil (Wolff 2014)
The most common scale insect was S. oleae (88.15%), occurred throughout the year, found in all varieties of olive trees and the highest percentage was in Alfafara (98.25%); the second scale insect was A. nerii (5.85%), which occurred in all the varieties; S. coffeae (4.51%) occurred only in five varieties, the highest percentage was in Arbequina (13.42%); while the other scale insects occurred in a small percentage (< 1%) in the olive grove (Table I)
Number of individuals (N) and relative frequency (%) of scale insect species found in ten varieties of olive trees (Olea europaea L.) Encruzilhada do Sul, RS, from April 2013 to February 2014. (AL – Alfafara; AR – Arbequina; AB – Arbosana; CI – Cipressino; CA – Coratina; FR – Frantoio; KO – Koroneike; LE – Leccino; MA – Manzanilla; PI – Picual)
Summary
Commercial crops of olive trees (Olea europaea L., Oleaceae) are being developed in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil.One recent problem with olive production in this region is the presence of scale insects (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha) (Coutinho et al 2009, Wolff 2014, Ricalde et al 2015).Scale insects suck the sap of host plants and can negatively affect olive trees and reduce the yields of olive fruit and oil (Coutinho 2011, SantaCecília et al 2014).There are 19 species of scale insects on O. europaea, in Brazil (Claps et al 1999, 2001, Prado et al 2012, Wolff 2014, Ricalde et al 2015, GarcíaMorales et al 2016).This study surveyed the scale insects species associated in ten olive varieties. Commercial crops of olive trees (Olea europaea L., Oleaceae) are being developed in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. There are 19 species of scale insects on O. europaea, in Brazil (Claps et al 1999, 2001, Prado et al 2012, Wolff 2014, Ricalde et al 2015, GarcíaMorales et al 2016).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
