ABSTRACT
The objective of this research was to study the natural enemies and their modes of action during the development of Oncideres impluviata larvae. Those branches of Bracatinga (Mimosa scabrella Benth.) attacked by twing girller were periodically collected during 1984/85, in Almirante Tamandaré - Paraná state. The larvae collected in the field had their cycles completed in laboratory, inside the test tubes containing moistened saw dust of Bracatinga. The larvae when collected had recorded their locations of branch besides collection date and the instar where they were. The efficiency of natural enemies was evaluated as well as the time they were active. The observations conducted led to the conclusion that predatory action was more efficient than parasitism, which had a tendency to decrease whereas the predatory action increased with the larva development. The most frequent parasite was Conocoelius sp. (Hym.; Braconidae) and among predators, Cregya difformis (Col.; Cleridae) and Liothrips sp. (Thys.; Phloeothripidae).
Keywords:
Twig girller; biological control; parasites; predators; “bracatinga”