Entomofauna associated to stands of teak (Tectona grandis) located in the south of Espírito Santo State, Brazil

Abstract

Homogeneous forests are susceptive to the occurrence of population´s boom of forest pests. Among them, the beetles are considered important economically, not only for the actual damages to the stand, but mainly for the difficulty of control. This work aimed to carry out a population survey of insects, mainly of xylophagous, in stands of Tectona grandis. Twenty ethanolic traps and 30 wood samples of teak were installed in two stands in the municipalities of Alegre and Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, located in the south of Espírito Santo State, Brazil. After 18 months (January of 2011 to July of 2012) adult insects, pupas and larvae in the existing galleries in wood samples were collected. The collections of the adult insects were carried out monthly in the ethanolic traps. From August of 2011 to May of 2012, it were collected 742 coleopters in the traps, from the families Bostrichidae and Cerambycidae and subfamily Scolytinae, beyond non xylophagous individuals from the families Chrysomelidae, Curculionidae, Elateridae, Lagriidae, Lampyridae, Scarabaeidae and Tenebrionidae. The highest incidence of insects with xylophagous characteristics and a higher diversity of families of coleopters were observed in Alegre municipality.