ENTOMOFAUNA ASSOCIATED TO DIFFERENT PHENOLOGICAL STAGES ON BLUEBERRY CROP

ABSTRACT The blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade, Ericaceae) is a small fruit with great growth potential in Brazil. This research was developed in order to identify the insects found on associated to the different phenological stages of blueberry in order to implement the integrated pest management for this crop. Insect samples were collected from three orchards, in the region of Pelotas, RS, from January 2010 to June 2012. The data were analyzed based on the composition and abundance of the collected insects. In all three sites, 2,354 insects were studied and the majority belonged to Hymenoptera (72%), Coleoptera (16%), Hemiptera (6%) and Diptera (4%). Forty-one families were identified with 59% of the listed insects belonging to the Apidae family, followed by 11% for Chrysomelidae and Formicidae. Overall, 50 species of insects were identified and Trigona spinipes (Fabr.) and Apis mellifera L. were the most abundant. Of the species found, 78% were herbivores, while 22% was beneficial insects (pollinators, predators and parasitoids) belonging to the orders Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and Dermaptera. The analysis of variance with the randomization test showed that the insect fauna does not differ between locations and phenological stages. The interaction of site with phenological stages was not significant for the three grade levels (order, family and species). The knowledge of the entomofauna associated with blueberry, along with the similarity in composition with the phenological stages and evaluated sites, contributes to the development of integrated pest management and establishment of production system for this new culture in southern Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil