Spatial patterns of the leaf crown borer Eupalamides cyparissias (Cramer, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Castiniidae) in coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) tropical region

Abstract

The leaf crown borer Eupalamides cyparissias (Cramer, 1775) is an important pest of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) and other palms (Arecaceae) of economic importance, attacking the base of leaves, inflorescences, and infructescences, increasing fruit abortion. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial correlation of the infestation rate of E. cyparissias in coconut plantation blocks in the Brazilian Amazon, from January to December 2019, in the city of Santa Izabel, Pará, Brazil. The study area is a farm subdivided into 157 blocks of a commercial plantation of the green dwarf coconut. The Local Moran’s Index was used to evaluate the existence of spatial autocorrelation of the E. cyparissias infestation rate in the 157 blocks with neighboring blocks. The infestation rate was calculated by the ratio between the number of plants attacked by the borer and the total number of plants in a block. There is a significant correlation of the symptomatology of the attack by E. cyparissias in the blocks of the experimental area, which indicates an aggregated pattern of distribution. There is no significant correlation between the attack by the borer and the age of the coconut tree; however there is a significant correlation between the attack by the borer and proximity to forest areas. These results indicate that forest regions are foci of infestation by the borer in coconut plantations.