CONTROL OF LEUCOPTERA COFFEELLA (GUÉRIN-MÈNEVILLE & PERROTTET, 1842) (LEPIDOPTERA: LYONETIIDAE) WITH SOIL-APPLIED GRANULATED INSECTICIDES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON PREDATORY WASPS AND PARASITOIDS

ABSTRACT

The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of some soil-applied granulated insecticides on the control of Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville & Perrottet, 1842) (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) and their effects on predatory wasps and parasitoids of this pest. The experiment was carried out in a commercial crop cv. Mundo Novo located in Campo Belo, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Each plot was made up of 4 rows of coffee crop with 10 plants each. The following insecticides were applied: thiamethoxam (500 g a.i./ha), thiamethoxam (300 g a.i./ha), thiamethoxam + cyproconazole (250 g a.i./ha + 250 g a.i./ha), thiamethoxam + cyproconazole (300 g a.i./ha + 300 g a.i./ha) and aldicarb (4,275 g a.i./ ha). Two applications were done in February of 2001 and in February of 2002. At intervals of two weeks, 60 coffee leaves per plot, located in the middle third of the plants were collected. Effective control of the coffee leaf miner by the evaluated insecticides was observed. All products caused reduction in the number of eggs, in the percentage of mined leaves and in the number of live caterpillars of L. coffeella. All evaluated insecticides were shown to be harmful to the coffee leaf miner parasitoids, aldicarb being the least toxic.

Key words
Coffee plant; Leucoptera coffeella ; integrated control; granulated insecticides; selectivity