CONTROLE BIOLÓGICO DE FORMIGAS-CORTADEIRAS: O CASO DA PREDAÇÃO DE FÊMEAS DE Atta SPP. POR Canthon virens

Abstract

As formigas-cortadeiras são importantes pragas dos setores agrícola e florestal do Brasil. O controle dessa praga, em geral, tem sido realizado com uso de inseticidas químicos, especialmente iscas formicidas envenenadas. Formas alternativas ao controle químico são conhecidas e podem representar significativo controle dessa praga, entretanto são pouco estudadas. O propósito deste texto é discorrer sobre aspectos bioecológicos e perspectivas de uso de um característico predador de fêmeas de Atta Fabricius, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), o besouro predador Canthon virens Mannerhein (1929) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Esse predador, comumente encontrado em áreas de cerrado do Brasil, decapta as fêmas de saúvas assim que elas aterrizam ao solo pós voô nupcial ou revoada. Essa presa abatida é transportada para o interior de seus ninhos construídos no solo e servirá de alimento para as suas larvas.

Nest density ofAtta sexdens(Linnaeus, 1758) in Atlantic Forest restoration sites depends on the surrounding landscape

“…Natural enemies of the LCA act in different phases of the life cycle of the colony, from the nuptial flight (Camacho et al 2012), foundation and establishment of the nest (Araújo et al 2015, Erthal Jr & Tonhasca Jr 2001, Silveira et al 2006, Travaglini et al 2016 and during selection and foraging activity (Almeida et al 2008, Barrera et al 2017). These natural enemies encompass invertebrate predators as other species of ants, spiders, beetles and mites (Araújo et al 2015, Erthal Jr & Tonhasca Jr 2001 Table 1.…”

“…Natural enemies of the LCA act in different phases of the life cycle of the colony, from the nuptial flight (Camacho et al 2012), foundation and establishment of the nest (Araújo et al 2015, Erthal Jr & Tonhasca Jr 2001, Silveira et al 2006, Travaglini et al 2016 and during selection and foraging activity (Almeida et al 2008, Barrera et al 2017). These natural enemies encompass invertebrate predators as other species of ants, spiders, beetles and mites (Araújo et al 2015, Erthal Jr & Tonhasca Jr 2001 Table 1. Density of active (N A ) and inactive (N I ) nests of Atta sexdens, distance in a straight line (D) and through vegetation corridors (D V ) between the restoration sites and the nearest forest fragment, proximity index (PI) and forest habitat area (V), for search radius of 500 and 1,000 m, in eleven restoration sites (reforestations with native species ageing 9-12 years) located at Capivara hydroelectric power plant reservoir margins, Parana state, Brazil 2001); parasitoids as flies from the family Phoridae and wasps (Almeida et al 2008, Barrera et al 2017) and soil microorganisms as bacteria and fungi (Travaglini et al 2016).…”

“…It is important to highlight that all these faunal samplings (Lima 2012, Lima 2018, Santos Jr et al 2016, Silva 2016 were made in restoration sites that are adjacent to forest fragments, and it is not reasonable to expect that the fauna of the more distant restoration sites is similar to those of that connected ones, highlighting the importance of greater landscape connectivity for the biological control of LCA. Among those species were beetles from the genus Canthon Hoffmannsegg, 1818 (Silva 2016), which predate the queens to feed their larvae (Araújo et al 2015, Silveira et al 2006. Furthermore, many anuran species were listed as common in restoration sites, adjacent forest fragments and nearby lakes (Lima 2012), most of them being generalist insectivores.…”

PATHOGENICITY OF ISOLATES OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI TO WORKERS OF Acromyrmex heyeri (Forel, 1899) (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE)

“…Despite being characterized as an insect pest, leaf-cutting ants not only promote damage but also benefits with their actions in important ecological processes, such as nutrient cycling, in the most diverse ecosystems where they are found. Hence, the dispersion of biological control agents has stood out as a control method that aims at maintaining the target species in a lasting and stable way, below the level of economic damage, using natural enemies, which can be predators, parasites, or pathogens (DA SILVA ARAÚJO et al, 2015).…”

New records of relictual populations of dung beetle species (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) in the Atlantic Forest of the Brazilian Northeast

“…Canthon Hoffmannsegg, 1817 is currently the largest genus of the tribe Deltochilini, with 75 species recorded for Brazil (Vaz-de-Mello 2020). The specimens are preferentially coprophagous, but some species are copronecrophagous, necrophagous, predators of ants from the genus Atta Fabricius, 1804, or may be attracted by volatile defensive secretions of millipedes (Halffter and Matthews 1966;Bedoussac et al 2007;Araújo et al 2015).…”