Potencial de fitoseídeos (Acari: Phytoseiidae) como agentes de controle biológico de três espécies de ácaros fitófagos em seringueira
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Data
2022-12-02
Autores
Amaral, Felipe Santa Rosa do
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Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
Resumo
A seringueira, Hevea brasiliensis Müll.Arg., é a maior fonte de borracha natural do mundo, devido à sua elevada produção de látex. O principal modo de produção dessa espécie é pelo monocultivo, o que tem algumas implicações, como a maior propensão ao ataque de pragas. Duas espécies importantes para essa cultura são os ácaros fitófagos Calacarus heveae Feres e Tenuipalpus heveae Baker, cujas infestações podem ocasionar queda na produção de látex. Contudo, a seringueira também é espécie hospedeira para diversos ácaros predadores, sobretudo da família Phytoseiidae, que se alimentam principalmente de ácaros fitófagos. Este trabalho teve como objetivo investigar quais espécies de fitoseídeos podem atuar como predadoras de T. heveae e C. heveae. Foi avaliado o efeito de C. heveae como alimento na fecundidade de 10 espécies de ácaros predadores da família Phytoseiidae já registradas em H. brasiliensis. Os resultados dessa etapa levaram à inferência de que C. heveae não é uma presa favorável para a reprodução dos fitoseídeos avaliados, já que todas as espécies apresentaram taxas de ovipósição inferiores a 0,2 ovos/fêmea/dia, quando alimentados com esse eriofiídeo. Quatro espécies de fitoseídeos apresentaram taxas de predação superiores a 20 presas/fêmea/dia, sendo que a taxa máxima encontrada foi de 39 presas/fêmea/dia por Amblyseius chiapensis De Leon. O estudo de tabela de vida com A. chiapensis nos permitiu concluir que esse fitoseídeo não pode manter sua população tendo C. heveae como alimento exclusivo. Um teste semelhante foi feito para avaliar a fecundidade de cinco fitoseídeos tratados com T. heveae. Nesse experimento, o tenuipalpideo foi uma presa favorável para as cinco espécies de ácaros predadores, com taxas de oviposição entre 1 e 2 ovos/fêmea/dia e taxas de predação entre 20 e 46 presas/fêmea/dia. Os resultados encontrados para o fitoseídeo Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma se destacaram em relação aos demais, portanto, essa espécie foi escolhida para um estudo de tabela de vida, cujos resultados apontaram que este pode ser considerado um agente de controle biológico promissor para T. heveae. Em outro experimento, foi avaliada a aceitação de Eutetranychus banksi McGregor como presa para E. citrifolius. Os dados laboratoriais mostraram que E. citrifolius preda E. banksi e que pode se reproduzir tendo essa presa como única fonte de alimento. Contudo, em mudas de seringueira, foi observado que E. citrifolius não reduziu significativamente populações de E. banksi. Também foi avaliado o efeito de quatro tipos de pólens na fecundidade de E. citrifolius. Todos foram aceitos pelo fitoseídeo, sendo o pólen de Nopalea cochenillifera Salm-Dyck o que proveu a maior taxa de oviposição. É importante salientar que esse foi o primeiro estudo que avaliou pólen de N. cochenillifera como alimento para fitoseídeo, sendo mais uma opção de alimento para criação desses ácaros, pela sua fácil obtenção. Avaliando a influência de diferentes substratos na oviposição de E. citrifolius, foi possível constatar que os substratos naturais testados, feitos com folhas de espécies vegetais, foram mais favoráveis para esse predador do que o substrato artificial, feito com piso vinílico. Os dados desse trabalho contribuem para um melhor entendimento da relação predador-presa entre ácaros fitoseídeos e ácaros fitófagos em seringueira. Além disso, permitem apontar E. citrifolius como uma espécie benéfica à cultura de seringueira, podendo atuar como agente de controle biológico de T. heveae.
The rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis Müll. Arg., is the largest source of natural rubber in the world due to its high latex production. The main mode of production of this species is by monoculture, which has some implications, such as the greater propensity to attack pests. Two important species for this crop are the phytophagous mites Calacarus heveae Feres and Tenuipalpus heveae Baker, whose infestations can cause a drop in latex production. However, the rubber tree is also a host species for several predatory mites, especially Phytoseiidae, which feed mainly on phytophagous mites. The aim of this work was to investigate which species of phytoseiids can act as predators of T. heveae and C. heveae. The effect of C. heveae as food was evaluated in the fecundity of 10 species of predatory mites of the Phytoseiidae family already recorded on H. brasiliensis. The results of this stage led to the inference that C. heveae is not a favorable prey for the reproduction of the evaluated phytoseiids, given that all species presented oviposition rates lower than 0.2 eggs/female/day. Four species of phytoseiids presented predation rates higher than 20 prey/female/day, and the maximum rate found was 39 prey/female/day by Amblyseius chiapensis De Leon. The life table study with A. chiapensis allowed us to conclude that this phytoseiid does not keep its population having C. heveae as exclusive food. A similar test was performed to evaluate the fecundity of five phytoseiids treated with T. heveae. In this experiment, tenuipalpid was a favorable prey for the five species of predatory mites, with oviposition rates between 1 and 2 eggs/female/day and predation rates between 20 and 46 prey/female/day. The results found the phytoseiid Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma stood out in relation to the others. Hence, this species was chosen for a life table study, results showed that this can be considered a promising biological control agent for T. heveae. In another experiment, the acceptance of Eutetranychus banksi McGregor as prey for E. citrifolius was evaluated. Laboratory data showed that E. citrifolius can prey on E. banksi and can reproduce with this prey as the only food source. However, in rubber tree seedlings, it was observed that E. citrifolius did not significantly reduce E. banksi populations. The effect of four pollen types on fecundity of E. citrifolius was also evaluated. All were accepted by the phytoseiid, and the pollen of Nopalea cochenillifera Salm-Dyck provided the highest oviposition rate. It is important to note that this was the first study that evaluated pollen of N. cochenillifera as food for Phytoseiidae, being another food option for these predatory mites, due to its easy obtaining. Evaluating the influence of different substrates on the oviposition of E. citrifolius, it was found that the natural substrates tested, made with leaves of plant species, were more favorable for this predator than the artificial substrate, made with vinyl flooring. The data of this work contribute to a better understanding of the predator-prey relationship between phytoseiid mites and phytophagous mites in rubber. In addition, they indicate E. citrifolius as a species beneficial to the rubber tree culture and can act as a biological control agent of T. heveae.
The rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis Müll. Arg., is the largest source of natural rubber in the world due to its high latex production. The main mode of production of this species is by monoculture, which has some implications, such as the greater propensity to attack pests. Two important species for this crop are the phytophagous mites Calacarus heveae Feres and Tenuipalpus heveae Baker, whose infestations can cause a drop in latex production. However, the rubber tree is also a host species for several predatory mites, especially Phytoseiidae, which feed mainly on phytophagous mites. The aim of this work was to investigate which species of phytoseiids can act as predators of T. heveae and C. heveae. The effect of C. heveae as food was evaluated in the fecundity of 10 species of predatory mites of the Phytoseiidae family already recorded on H. brasiliensis. The results of this stage led to the inference that C. heveae is not a favorable prey for the reproduction of the evaluated phytoseiids, given that all species presented oviposition rates lower than 0.2 eggs/female/day. Four species of phytoseiids presented predation rates higher than 20 prey/female/day, and the maximum rate found was 39 prey/female/day by Amblyseius chiapensis De Leon. The life table study with A. chiapensis allowed us to conclude that this phytoseiid does not keep its population having C. heveae as exclusive food. A similar test was performed to evaluate the fecundity of five phytoseiids treated with T. heveae. In this experiment, tenuipalpid was a favorable prey for the five species of predatory mites, with oviposition rates between 1 and 2 eggs/female/day and predation rates between 20 and 46 prey/female/day. The results found the phytoseiid Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma stood out in relation to the others. Hence, this species was chosen for a life table study, results showed that this can be considered a promising biological control agent for T. heveae. In another experiment, the acceptance of Eutetranychus banksi McGregor as prey for E. citrifolius was evaluated. Laboratory data showed that E. citrifolius can prey on E. banksi and can reproduce with this prey as the only food source. However, in rubber tree seedlings, it was observed that E. citrifolius did not significantly reduce E. banksi populations. The effect of four pollen types on fecundity of E. citrifolius was also evaluated. All were accepted by the phytoseiid, and the pollen of Nopalea cochenillifera Salm-Dyck provided the highest oviposition rate. It is important to note that this was the first study that evaluated pollen of N. cochenillifera as food for Phytoseiidae, being another food option for these predatory mites, due to its easy obtaining. Evaluating the influence of different substrates on the oviposition of E. citrifolius, it was found that the natural substrates tested, made with leaves of plant species, were more favorable for this predator than the artificial substrate, made with vinyl flooring. The data of this work contribute to a better understanding of the predator-prey relationship between phytoseiid mites and phytophagous mites in rubber. In addition, they indicate E. citrifolius as a species beneficial to the rubber tree culture and can act as a biological control agent of T. heveae.
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Palavras-chave
Ecologia aplicada, Acari, Predação, Controle biológico, Seringais, Applied ecology, Predation, Biological control, Rubber plantation