Larvae and adults of Spermologus rufus Boheman can cause severe damage to seeds of Brazilian pine, Araucaria angustifolia. In this study, yeasts were isolated from seeds of A. angustifolia and from the digestive tract of S. rufus to verify their similarity and determine the existence of feeding sites in order to elaborate an artificial diet for this insect. Pichia spp. were found in seeds and Pichia spp. and P. stipitis Pignal in the digestive tract of S. rufus. The low variability among observed microorganisms suggests a food preference, which can facilitate the elaboration of artificial diets.
Insecta; Coleoptera; Curculionidae; yeast; Pichia; artificial diets; Brazilian pine