ABSTRACT:
Cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is one of the most limiting factors for cotton crop expansion. It presents different biological and behavioral aspects that ensure its success on this agroecosystem. This research aimed to identify pollen sources used by this insect during harvest and intercrop periods of cotton cultivations in Iuiu and Correntina - BA, Brazil; moreover, evaluating Caatinga and Cerrado neighboring areas. Adult insect samplings were made from February to September of 2013, through pheromone traps. Samples were analyzed to identify the pollen types inside the digestive system of insects. The results indicated that the pest explores 22 botanical families as nourishment source, from which 16 in Caatinga and five in Cerrado. Regarding crop samples, eight genera were found in Iuiu and Correntina, being three found in both areas (Angelonia, Mimosa and Myrcia sp.1). Pollen from 26 genera were identified for Caatinga and six for Cerrado, with three genera in common for both (Myrcia sp.2, Eucalyptus, and Mimosa). The boll weevil uses alternative sources of food within the main cotton growing regions in Bahia State, highlighting the Caatinga with most of the botanical families and genera explored by the pest.
Keywords:
Anthonomus grandis; Caatinga; Cerrado; Palynology; Survival.
