Oviposition and predation by Speciomerus revoili (Coleoptera, Bruchidae) on seeds of Acrocomia aculeata (Arecaceae) in Brasília, DF, Brazil

Autor: F. A. RAMOS, I. MARTINS, J. M. FARIAS, I. C. S. SILVA, D. C. COSTA, A. P. MIRANDA
Jazyk: angličtina
Předmět:
Zdroj: Brazilian Journal of Biology, Vol 61, Iss 3, Pp 449-454
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1678-4375
1519-6984
DOI: 10.1590/S1519-69842001000300014
Popis: Oviposition and predation levels by Speciomerus revoili bruchid beetles were quantified on fruits and seeds of the macaúba palm, Acrocomia aculeata, collected from below mother-trees within the Sarah Kubitschek Park of Brasília, DF, Brazil. A maximum of 12 eggs per fruit were found, with high variations observed between samples. No clear pattern was found for the distribution of the number of eggs per fruit, perhaps due to the artificial conditions of the study area, the absence of dispersers and/or the plasticity in the oviposition behavior of the insect. The number of eggs per fruit was not related to fruit size, but was associated with their availability under the tree-mother. This suggests that the density of eggs per fruit is a balance between the availability of this resource and the number of females in the beetle population. The observed mortality rate, from the egg phase to the final larval stages, was over 75%. About 40% of the seeds of Acrocomia aculeata were predated by Speciomerus revoili.
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