Abstract
The babassou plant (Attalea speciosa Mart. Ex. Spreng, Arecaceae) is an important palm tree in the state of Maranhão, northeastern Brazil. This plant is the main arboreal component in extensive geographical areas including agricultural areas. However, limited research studies exist on its role as an alternative pest host in this region. This study investigated the occurrence of Tibraca limbativentris Stal (1860) in young babassou palm trees, the effect of abiotic factors (temperature, solar radiation and rainfall) on the number of T. limbativentris adults and postures, and this insect’s spatial arrangement during the rice crop off-season. The research team inspected young babassou plants on a monthly basis in 2012 and 2013 to collect and quantify postures and adults. They collected a total of 1418 live adults, 13 dead and ten postures of T. limbativentris. There was a significant difference between the first and the other collections of live adults carried out in 2012 and 2013. Abiotic factors including rainfall, temperature and solar radiation, had no influence on the number of adults (alive and dead) and postures. The semivariogram adjusted to the Gaussian model showed that in 2013, the spatial distribution of living adults, that had an aggregate pattern, was highly dependent on the season. However, in 2012 there was a pure nugget effect. These results imply that young babassou plants are alternative T. limbativentris hosts.
Highlights
The northern region of Maranhão, northeastern Brazil, has extensive babassou palm trees
This study investigated the occurrence of Tibraca limbativentris Stal (1860) in young babassou palm trees, the effect of abiotic factors on the number of T. limbativentris adults and postures, and this insect’s spatial arrangement during the rice crop off-season
This study investigated the influence of abiotic factors on the number of the pests’ adult populations and spawnings and the insect’s spatial distribution in the area inter-harvest period
Summary
The northern region of Maranhão, northeastern Brazil, has extensive babassou palm trees These trees constantly transform during rice crop implantation periods. The area’s farmers practice a cultivation system that combines subsistence agriculture, artisanal fishing and extraction. This system uses fire to clean and fertilize the soil by leaving the residual ash from burning the fallow bushes on the ground. Such techniques have made the state of Maranhão the largest rice producer in the northeast Brazilian region. This state ranks second among states with the most extensive
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