ABSTRACT
To evaluate the population fluctuation of Mezium americanum (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) two monitoring methods were used: the “tube” trap and the “sandwich” trap. The experiment took place in the period from April 2002 to March of 2003, in an aviary of the Conjunto Agrotécnico Visconde da Graça (CAVG), located in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In that period 367 specimens of M. americanum were captured, the period of greatest occurrence being in the month of February (121), when the monthly mean temperature was 24.7º C, while the least occurrence was in the months of July and September (01) with monthly mean temperature around 13.8º C. The coleopteron was absent in only 3 of the 12 months of collection, demonstrating the potential importance of this species in aviaries.
KEY WORDS
Coleoptera; Ptinidae; aviary; monitoring
Thumbnail
Thumbnail
