Abstract
Microtheca spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are insect pests primarily related to Brassicaceae crops. In the State of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), southern Brazil, they are found on forage turnip, Raphanus sativus L. var. oleiferus Metzg., which is commonly grown during fall/winter seasons. This work reports the predation of Microtheca spp. larvae by Toxomerus duplicatus Wiedemann, 1830 (Diptera: Syrphidae) larvae, on forage turnip crop, in Santa Maria, RS. This register provides new information about Microtheca spp. natural enemies in Brazil, which might be a new option for integrate pest management of these species.
Highlights
Microtheca spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are insect pests primarily related to Brassicaceae crops and its occurrence is reported from South America, where they are indigenous, to southeastern United States, especially Microtheca ochroloma Stal, 1860 and Microtheca semilaevis Stal, 1860 (Manrique et al, 2010)
In Brazil these species are found in different Brassicaceae crops (Menezes Júnior et al, 2005; Farinha et al, 2009; Poncio et al, 2010) and their presence commonly results in severe defoliation, due to the feeding habits of both larvae and adults, which are based on consumption of leaf tissue
In the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, larvae of these insects are found on forage turnips, Raphanus sativus L. var. oleiferus Metzg., which is commonly grown on areas after grain production, such as maize and soybean, during fall/winter seasons, where it is an option for rotation crops schemes, due to its capacity of covering the soil and cycling chemical elements, mainly phosphor and nitrogen (Ohland et al, 2005)
Summary
Microtheca spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are insect pests primarily related to Brassicaceae crops and its occurrence is reported from South America, where they are indigenous, to southeastern United States, especially Microtheca ochroloma Stal, 1860 and Microtheca semilaevis Stal, 1860 (Manrique et al, 2010). In Brazil these species are found in different Brassicaceae crops (Menezes Júnior et al, 2005; Farinha et al, 2009; Poncio et al, 2010) and their presence commonly results in severe defoliation, due to the feeding habits of both larvae and adults, which are based on consumption of leaf tissue. This makes Microtheca spp. species very important pests, especially to organic farmers who have few options to control infestations satisfactorily, including M. ochroloma (Poncio et al, 2010) and M. semilaevis.
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