Insects related to Olive culture in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

Abstract

The increased cultivation of olive trees in Rio Grande do Sul State and its potential production arouse the need to characterize the assemblage of insects in olive groves, especially those with potential as pests. Therefore, the insect fauna was sampled monthly for two years, in the canopy of olive trees, using beat cloth, and collection of buds in five municipalities in Southern Rio Grande do Sul State. The faunal indices analyzed were abundance, constancy, dominance and frequency. The olive caterpillar Palpita forficifera Munroe 1959 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and mealybugs Saissetia oleae (Olivier, 1791) and Saissetia coffeae (Walker, 1952) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) are the main phytophagous insects in olive farms in the Rio Grande do Sul State, with potential to reach pest status. Eleven insect species were recorded for the first time in olive groves in Brazil. The occurrence of P. forficifera is a new record for the Rio Grande do Sul State.