Abstract:
The objective of this work was to assess the abundance of natural enemies of wheat (Triticum aestivum) aphids at different distances from the edge of the forest (2.0 to 200 m), in the municipalities of Londrina and Ibiporã, in the state of Paraná, Brazil, in the 2008 crop season. A total of 11,316 aphids, 682 mummies, 487 parasitoids, and 20,366 predators were quantified. The effect of the distance from the edge of the forest on aphids and parasitoids was not consistent. Among predators, the Dolichopodidae family was the most abundant (87.74 and 98.55% in Ibiporã and Londrina, respectively) and showed a higher population near the edge of the forest, indicating that this refuge area favors that predator.
Index terms:
Lysiphlebus testaceipes; Triticum aestivum; biological control; wheat pests; environmental conservation.
