ABSTRACT
There is great difficulty to improve techniques of integrated pest management of leaf cutting ants, mainly when found outside of, but near to, forest plantations. This work aims to characterize aspects such as nest size and foraging distance from eucalypt plantations. Studies were performed near forest plantations in the counties of João Pinheiro and Buritizeiro, in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Six months before, all leaf cutting ant nests received chemical control with sulfluramid baits. Nine nests were located outside the eucalypt plantations. Nest area was 62.5 ± 11.1 m2 and nests were located 33.94 ± 8.68 m from plantation boundary. Such characteristics may be useful to fix the boundary range used to control leaf cutting ant mounds outside the eucalypt plantation. Results show that boundary range should be 50 m wide. Acromyrmex sp. is a new occurrence for both Buritizeiro and João Pinheiro counties, but Atta laevigata, Atta sexdens rubropilosa and Trachymyrmex sp. are new occurrences for Buritizeiro only.
Keywords:
forest pest; plantation boundary; eucalypt