Aspectos biológicos de Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (HEMIPTERA: PSEUDOCOCCIDAE) em algodoeiros com e sem caulim

Abstract

Cotton crop has been well known to man since ancient times, but one of the main problems of this culture is the attack of pests. Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera:Pseudococcidae) has a high morphological diversity, biological adaptations and ecological adjustments that give this species a high capacity to feed host plants. Chemical control is the main method used to control population outbreaks of this mealybug. However, it is difficult to fully control this mealybug with conventional insecticides because of the waxy material that covers the bodies of adult females. The objective of this research was to study the biological aspects of P. solenopsis in cotton leaf discs with and without kaolin. Kaolin is a white clay mineral with various agricultural applications. The film of kaolin particles creates a physical or mechanical barrier of protection against arthropods and pathogens. The work was carried out in the Embrapa Algodão Entomology Laboratory, Campina Grande, State of Paraíba, Brazil, in climatic chamber of type B.O.D. (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), adjusted to a temperature of 25 ± 1 °C, relative humidity of 60 ± 10% and photophase of 12 hours. The experimental design was completely randomized with two treatments and fifty replicates. The treatments consisted of spraying the immature and newly emerged adult stages of P. solenopsis and immersing cotton leaf discs in kaolin suspension (with kaolin) in distilled -1 water at 60 gL the immature stages of P. solenopsis were determined and, in the adult phase, the periods of or in distilled water (control, without kaolin). The duration and survival of pre-oviposition, oviposition, post-oviposition, longevity, fecundity, number of eggs/day, number of eggs/female/day. The parameters of the fertility and life expectancy tables of P. solenopsis were also estimated to determine the population growth potential of this mealybug in both treatments. The results obtained in this research demonstrate that the survival of the immature stages of P. solenopsis in cotton leaves disks was not affected by kaolin. However, it was observed a shorter duration of development of the second and third instars and of the egg period to the adults of P. solenopsis females in the treatment with kaolin suspension and a longer period of oviposition, fecundity and number of eggs per female in that same treatment. In addition, the shortest time required for the P. solenopsis population to double time (TD) associated with the highest values of gross (TBR) and net reproductive rate (Ro), intrinsic (rm) and finite rates of increase (λ), survival, specific fertility (mx), reproductive value (VRx) and life expectancy (ex) in treatment with kaolin suspension indicate that spraying of this product on cotton plants infested by mealybug should be avoided because they favor its growth populational.