The pequi tree is a native species of brazilian savanah, which fruits are explored in an extractivist form, having a huge economic importance. The long periods of availability of the fruits, together with the heterogeneity of the productive regions, leads to an inference of the existence of differences among their physical characteristics. Thus, this study aimed to compare the physical characteristics of pequi tree fruit collected in three municipalities in the north of Minas Gerais state, and to verify if the attack by insects is directly related to it's biometrical characteristics. We sampled 10 individuals and collected 20 fruits from each tree, in Montes Claros, Mirabela and Japonvar, municipalities, totalling 200 fruits per area. The physical variables of the fruits and pits, the number of little fruits (frutilhos), pits and seeds, and the percentage of intact and damaged fruits and pits were determined. The results indicated that there are physical differences among the collected areas, with the region of Japonvar having the most vigorous pits, with the lowest rates of attack by the pequi fruit borer. In addition, skin thickness and length of fruits from Japonvar and Mirabela, respectively, had relations with the percentage of attack by Carmenta sp. These differences found among the areas may be associated with the climatic and edaphic influences of these regions, which may also highlight the linkage to the genetical composition aspects of the pequi.
native fruit tree; pequi; pequi borer; biometry; Cerrado
