Desempenho biológico de Chrysoperla externa e Ceraeochrysa sp. (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) criados com Glycaspis brimblecombei (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) em eucalipto

Abstract

The shell psyllid, Glycaspis brimblecombei (Moore, 1964) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is a pest of eucalyptus that causes defoliation, tree weakening, oversprouting, and canopy drying. Lacewings, especially Chrysoperla externa (Hagen, 1861) and Ceraeochrysa sp. (Hagen, 1861) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), are widely used in the biological control of arthropods and stand out as potential agents in the management of this pest. The objective was to evaluate the biological characteristics and predation capacity of different strains of C. externa and Ceraeochrysa sp. fed on G. brimblecombei nymphs on eucalyptus leaves, under laboratory conditions. The experiment was conducted at the São Guilherme Farm in Ribas do Rio Pardo and at the Biological Insect Control Laboratory (LECOBIOL) of the Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD), under controlled conditions of temperature, humidity, and photoperiod. Newly emerged lacewing larvae were individualized in Petri dishes and subjected to seven treatments: TRE1: C. externa LC x G. brimblecombei (C. externa commercial strain); TRE2: C. externa LF x G. brimblecombei (C. externa strain from a eucalyptus farm); TRE3: C. externa LF x E. kuehniella (C. externa strain from a eucalyptus farm); TRE4: Ceraeochrysa sp. BW x G. brimblecombei (Ceraeochrysa sp. strain from a eucalyptus farm); TRE5: Ceraeochrysa sp. BW x E. kuehniella (Ceraeochrysa sp. lineage from a eucalyptus farm); TRE6: Ceraeochrysa sp. UFGD x G. brimblecombei (Ceraeochrysa sp. lineage from the vicinity of UFGD); TRE7: Ceraeochrysa sp. UFGD x E. kuehniella (Ceraeochrysa sp. lineage from the interior areas of UFGD) in a randomized design. Variables such as predation rates, predictions, and biological development were tested. In general, based on the methodology used and the results obtained, the different lineages of C. externa and Ceraeochrysa sp. seek to prey and develop by consuming the nymphs of G. brimblecombei. The biological development of C. externa, as well as its lineages, was superior to that of Ceraeochrysa sp. The predatory capacity of C. externa is superior to that of Ceraeochrysa sp. when consuming G. brimblecombei nymphs. The predatory capacity of C. externa larvae when consuming G. brimblecombei nymphs is similar between the commercial (LC) and farm (LF) strains. Overall, C. externa and Ceraeochrysa sp. have the potential to be used as biological control agents for G. brimblecombei in commercial eucalyptus plantations.