This study aimed to verify and to identify Lepidopterous leafminers in plants of spontaneous growth present in citrus orchard and to verify the occurrence of "citrus leafminer", Phyllocnistis citrella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), on those plants of spontaneous growth. The work was conducted in Montenegro, RS, in a tangor 'Murcott' hybrid orchard. Samplings were taken every fortnightly, from May, 2003 to May, 2004, collecting in each occasion all plants and or branches with mines found in a area delimited by an 0.28 m² arch thrown in the lines and between lines of 30 randomly chosen trees. The host plants of the leafminers were collected for identification. Eleven species of Lepidoptera leafminers were found distributed in six families, collected in 15 species of host plants of nine botanical families. The community of plants of spontaneous growth in the studied area hosted a huge diversity of Lepidoptera leafminers, including possible new families; however it did not hosted P. citrella.
Lepidoptera; Phyllocnistis citrella; leafminer; spontaneous growth vegetation
