Glycaspis brimblecombei (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) attack patterns on different Eucalyptus genotypes
Juliana Tuller1*, Karla Nunes Oliveira2, Jhonathan Oliveira Silva3, Maurício Lopes de Faria1, Mário Marcos do Espírito-Santo2, José Eduardo Serrão4, José Cola Zanuncio4
1 Laboratório de Controle Biológico, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Campus Universitário Prof. Darcy Ribeiro. CP 126, 39401-089, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil. 2 Laboratório de Ecologia Evolutiva, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Campus …show more content…
This study evaluated the spatial and temporal damage patterns of G. brimblecombei and the parasitism rates of Psyllaephagus bliteus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) on E. camaldulensis and its hybrids E. urophylla X E. camaldulensis and E. urophylla X E. grandis. Plantation plots of three eucalypt genotypes were evaluated for one year. The eucalypt leaves of the plantations were collected and examined. Damage by G. brimblecombei was lower on the hybrid genotypes and on the adaxial surface of the eucalypt leaves. The habitat type did not affect the damage caused by this pest. The densities of the eggs and nymphs of G. brimblecombei were negatively related to monthly rainfall. Nymph parasitism by P. bliteus was low (2.9%) independent of the genotype and did not vary spatially or temporally. The use of less susceptible eucalypt genotypes (e.g., hybrids) seems to be an alternative to management of G. brimblecombei because the mortality rates of this pest resulting from P. bliteus parasitism were low considering not manipulated parasitoid …show more content…
2009; Hejda et al. 2009). These organisms compete for nutrients, water, and light, change the nutrient cycle of soil, affect the community structure (Levine et al. 2003), and reduce the number of pollinators (Totland et al. 2006). In addition introduced phytophagous insects may become pests (Queiroz-Santana & Burckhardt 2007). In Brazil, the Australian genus Eucalyptus was introduced in the second half of the 19th century (Couto & Betters 1995), and its plantation covers more than 4.8 million ha (ABRAF 2013). This genus comprises more than 600 species, besides hybrids, with more than 30 cultivated in Brazil (Queiroz et al. 2012) for production of cellulose, charcoal, essential oils, furniture, planks, and paper. Eucalyptus has a remarkable native phytophagous fauna in Brazil (Rinaldi 2005), which can be explained by its phylogenetic proximity to the Brazilian flora, with high Myrtaceae diversity (Zanuncio et al.