Abstract
Abstract: Mocis latipes (Guenée, 1852) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) has been recognized as a major owlet caterpillar associated to the herbivory of gramineaceous plants across the American continent. During outbreaks, the caterpillars are capable of completely consuming preferred hosts (grasses) and, when these hosts are destroyed, they can move to adjacent non-grass plants and cause similar damage. Meteorological variable such as temperature and humidity are described as factors that affect the development and abundance of M. latipes. This paper aimed to describe and compare the spatial and temporal distribution of M. latipes in different locations in Brazil and to evaluate the influence of meteorological variables on the temporal range. A total of 12 locations were evaluated, in each collection point light traps were installed near cultivated areas. In order to understand the influence of meteorological variables on the abundance of M. latipes, the data were analyzed using a Generalized Linear Model according to Poisson regression. A linear regression was also used to verify the relation between the abundance and the latitude. A total of 1,985 moths were collected. The highest collections were in Amazon and Cerrado biomes. Results show that abundance was inversely related to increasing latitude and Poisson regression analysis indicated that the main meteorological variables were significantly related to abundance at each site. This study shows that due to the high preference for gramineas and the high temperature requirements (30°C), M. latipes is an important species in hot regions and regions with hight humidity. Furthurmore, even in higher latitudes, in subtropical areas, during summer months, populations can Rapidly growth being able to cause economic damages.
Highlights
Mocis latipes (Guenée, 1852) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) is an important grass pest that occurs throughout the Americas, from Canada to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay (Bethune 1869, Biezanko et al 1957, Barth 1958, Angulo & Jana-Sáenz 1983, Pastrana 2004, Wagner et al 2011, Alves et al 2019)
1,985 moths of M. latipes were collected with greater abundance concentrated in the lower latitudes, in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes
Latipes shown in Figure 1 is statistically confirmed by Poisson regression analysis (Figure 2) whose coefficients were Akaike Information
Summary
Mocis latipes (Guenée, 1852) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) is an important grass pest that occurs throughout the Americas, from Canada to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay (Bethune 1869, Biezanko et al 1957, Barth 1958, Angulo & Jana-Sáenz 1983, Pastrana 2004, Wagner et al 2011, Alves et al 2019). Some authors consider M. latipes as a polyphagous pest Fonseca & Autuori 1932, Bissell 1940, Biezanko et al 1957, 1974, Hayward 1960, Labrador 1964, Kimball 1965, Silva et al 1968, Costilla et al 1973, Ware 1973, Bertels 1975, Kleyla et al 1979, Pastrana 2004, Formentini et al 2015), the main host plants of M. latipes are grasses. M. latipes can be considered a polyphagous species because it has been collected from non-grassy plants Some authors consider M. latipes as a polyphagous pest (e.g. Fonseca & Autuori 1932, Bissell 1940, Biezanko et al 1957, 1974, Hayward 1960, Labrador 1964, Kimball 1965, Silva et al 1968, Costilla et al 1973, Ware 1973, Bertels 1975, Kleyla et al 1979, Pastrana 2004, Formentini et al 2015), the main host plants of M. latipes are grasses.
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