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ABUNDANCIA DEL COMPLEJO "GALLINA CIEGA"(coleóptera:melolonthidae) ASOCIADO AL CULTIVO DE MAÍZ EN EL CENTRO DE MÉXICO

2001; National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research ( INIFAP ); Volume: 27; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

2007-9230

Antonio Marín Jarillo,

Plant and soil sciences

In Mexico the “white grub” (Phyllophaga spp.) complex is an economically important insect pest in the maize crop, and together with the “root” worm (Diabrotica spp.) are the most distributed insect pests in the cultivated areas of central Mexico. This research was carried out with the aim of studying the seasonal abundance of the “white grub” complex in the maize crop in the state of Guanajuato. The study was conducted from 1998 to 2000, in eight location / year combinations. Where black light traps were installed monthly soil samplings were conducted to observe the development of immature stages of this insect complex at two other locations, Campo Experimental Bajio (CEBAJ) and Laguna Larga in the counties of Celaya and Penjamo, respectively. During the three years, 53 732 adult specimens were collected in the light traps, those represented 31 species from nine genera in the Melolonthidae. Across locations, higher number of insect trapped occurred after the onset of the rainy season. The agricultural important species collected were Phyllophaga ravida (Blanchard), P. vetula (Horn), P. misteca (Bates), P. obsoleta (Blanchard), P. brevidens (Bates), P. setifera (Burmeister), P. porodera Bates, P. polyphylla Bates, Cyclocephala lunulata Burmeister, C. comata Bates, C. lurida coahuilae Bates and the species Macrodactylus mexicanas Burmeister. The number of immature forms collected in the soil at the CEBAJ, Laguna Larga and in locations of Abasolo and Jerecuaro countries, was of 2 350 larvae that represented five genera. During the month of May, cells made by immature forms and containing adults were found in the soil at both sites. Those adults were captive since the cells were hard to break, and, adults were released at the onset of the rainy season after the cell walls had softened. Above observations and the collection of adults in the light traps indicated a direct relationship between adult emergence and soil moisture.