OCCURRENCE AND DAMAGE CAUSED BY Compsocerus violaceus (White, 1953) (coleoptera, cerambycidae) IN A CITRIC YARD

Abstract

The present study refers to the occurrence and damage caused by Compsocerus violaceus (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) in a mixed citric yard, maintained without cultivation care, and composed by 357 plants, including rio and cravo tangerines, baianinha and natal oranges, tangor sabará an cravo lemon. The occurrence and damage caused by the larvae was verified in loco in each plant of the yard. The counts were made considering the attacked plants and branches, the number of larvas in each branch and the diameter of the attacked branches. The biological cycle in field conditions and the number of eggs by dissected females were also observed. Eggs laying was observed in clefts in the branches. An average of 83 eggs was obtained for 11 dissected female insects, with a maximum of 132 and a minimum of 63 eggs per insect. The biological cycle, ranging from egg to adult, was of about 10 months. After eclosion, the grubs built a gallery in the sub cortical region of the branches, attacking branches with diameters between 2 to 6 cm. The majority of such galleries reach a kind of annealing structure around the branch, resulting in the dry up and brake of 41.3% of the branches by the action of the wind and the weight of the fruits. The results for the insect attack showed that cravo tangerine presented 35% of attack, baianinha 27%, natal 24%, tangor sabará 20% and rio tangerine 13%. The presence of the larvas was not observed in cravo lemon.

KEY-WORDS: Insecta; Coleoptera; Compsocerus; pest.