Diversity of Coleoptera in Maize Crops (Zea mays L.) and a Secondary Succession Area in Paraíba, Brazil

Abstract

This work compares the diversity of beetles (Coleoptera) in areas of maize cultivation with fertilization (NPK) and without fertilization, and a field in secondary succession (capoeira) aiming to understand the relation of these organisms in the different systems. The study was carried out in a farm belonging to EMEPA-PB, in the city of Alagoinha, Paraíba state, Brazil, from July to August 2018. Insects were captured in Provid traps and collected every seven days during the vegetative period of the crop. The screenings were carried out at the Zoology Laboratory of the Universidade Federal da Paraiba and the specimens identified at the family level. Data were analyzed using the ANAFAU program. Ten families of beetles were found: Alleculidae, Cecindelidae, Coccinellidae, Carabidae, Scarabaeidae, Cleridae, Staphylinidae, Erotylidae, Chrysomelidae, and Tenebrionidae. Five families were common in all studied areas except for Staphylinidae that was absent in the fertilized area. Beetle families classified as predatory insects were more abundant in the non-fertilized maize system and secondary succession area, except the Coccinellidae family. The families considered as maize crop pests (Scarabaeidae, Chrysomelidae, and Tenebrionidae) had higher abundance in the fertilized maize system. The Erotylidae family also showed predominance in the non-fertilized area. We conclude that there is a greater diversity of beetle in the non-fertilized maize crop when compared to the other studied areas.

Ciências Agrárias: Pesquisas E Perspectivas No Nordeste Brasileiro

“…Embora a eficiência de fertilizantes no aumento da produção agrícola seja notória, estudos tem comprovado que o uso de fertilizantes químicos pode apresentar efeitos negativos aos ecossistemas, como por exemplo, a redução de algumas espécies de insetos, como observado por Salustino et al, (2019), quando verificaram que campos fertilizados com produtos químicos, apresentavam uma menor incidência de insetos predadores quando comparadas a áreas não fertilizadas.…”