Distribuição temporal, predação de frutos e aspectos biológicos de Apion Brevicorne Gerstaecker, 1854 (Curculionoidea : Brentidae : Apioninae) em Copaifera Malmei Harms (Fabaceae)

Abstract

Apion brevicorne Gerstaecker, 1854 stands out for its association with different species of Copaifera (Fabaceae). Due to the lack of information about the biology of these insects in their respective host plants, the present study aimed to describe aspects of the biology of A. brevicorne associated with C. malmei. The temporal distribution, predation and biology of A. brevicorne in fruits of Copaifera malmei Harms were studied in ten plants distributed in a Cerrado fragment located in an urban area of Rondonópolis-MT, for over a year (July 2018 to June 2019). In each plant, 20 fruits were sampled, totaling 400 per month. A total of 3.200 fruits and 5.972 insects were obtained over the course of eight months of study (July to September 2018 and February to June 2019). For four months (October 2018 to January 2019) there were no fruits due to the periods of leaf fall, sprouting, flowering and fruiting in the studied plant population. The lowest predation rate (10%) occurred in the month in which the fruits had the lowest size and weight (September) and the highest rates (77% to 81%) in the months with the largest fruits (April and May). The number of eggs was higher in February and larvae were abundant in March. The greatest abundance of pupae was in May, and teneral and adults in April and June, respectively. The results suggest a seasonality and a synchronism between the life cycle of insects and the phenology of the plant. The predation rate of A. brevicorne associated with the size of C. malmei fruits should be investigated in future studies to verify the effects and impacts on reproduction, population increase and dispersion of the host plant.