Abstract
Platypodids are xylomycethophagous wood-boring insects that breed in live or recently dead woody tissues. Here the infestation pattern of trees in an urban area of Campinas City, Brazil, by platypodids was analysed. Platypus parallelus and P. sulcatus were found attacking 16.2% of the trees, mainly in the Caesalpinaceae family (96% of the records). Platypus sulcatus was the most common species with 70.3% of the records and concentrated in Caesapinia peltophoroides. Platypus parallelus was more frequent than P. sulcatus in Cassia spp. and Caesalpinia ferrea. Possible causes for the observed occurrence pattern of the wood-boring beetles were discussed.
Key words:
Platypus sulcatus; Platypus parallelus; urban ecology.