First record of Plectris aliena Chapin, 1934 (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae) as a potential sugarcane pest in Brazil

Bibliographic Details
Title: First record of Plectris aliena Chapin, 1934 (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae) as a potential sugarcane pest in Brazil
Authors: Coutinho, Gilmar Vieira, Gomes, Elias Soares, Ávila, Crébio José, Silva, Ivana Fernandes da, Costa, Eduardo Neves, Cherman, Mariana Alejandra
Source: Scientia Agricola. January 2022 79(2)
Publisher Information: Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", 2022.
Publication Year: 2022
Subject Terms: Macrodactylini, Scarab beetles, root-feeding pests, temporal distribution, white grubs
More Details: Plectris alienaChapin, 1934, a white grub that promotes serious damage to a variety of crops in North America and Australia, has been reported for the first time in Brazil. Larvae and adults of P. aliena were recorded in sugarcane crops in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, sampled by trenches in the soil with light traps, respectively, during 2012 and 2013. Root consumption was also determined for the first, second and third instar larvae. The species is univoltine; adults were found mainly in Aug and the peak of third instar larval density was in Apr in all fields sampled. Pupae and adults of P. aliena were observed in the soil profile at depths of up to 60 and 80 cm, respectively. Larvae of P. aliena of the second and third instar consumed the primary and secondary roots of sugarcane, causing serious damage. Third instar larvae consumed 916 mg of root fresh matter, representing 72 % of the sugarcane root system. These results assist in furthering the understanding of its larval dynamics in the soil and provide support for Integrated Pest Management.
Document Type: article
File Description: text/html
Language: English
ISSN: 0103-9016
DOI: 10.1590/1678-992x-2020-0128
Access URL: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-90162022000200801
Rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Accession Number: edssci.S0103.90162022000200801
Database: SciELO
More Details
ISSN:01039016
DOI:10.1590/1678-992x-2020-0128
Published in:Scientia Agricola
Language:English