Damage in Khaya ivorensis caused by Trigona spinipes in Brazilian savannah

Abstract

Trigona spinipes (Dog bee) attack the apical bud of Khaya ivorensis causing atrophy and budding which provoke branches that will depreciate the shaft if not handled. Damage to the culture of K. ivorensis has been reported for Brazil, but never before for the Brazilian savannah. The aim of this study was to survey the dog bee attack and report as first record the presence and damage caused in the African mahogany plantations in the Brazilian savannah. The area has about of 16.6 hectares of African mahogany monoculture in the municipality of Piracanjuba, Goiás. It has been used 21 plots of 400 m², pre-defined and simple random sampling method, in which was carried out forest inventory and observation sprouts the apical part of the stem and consequent artificial pruning of sprouts. Also performing were viewed bees in foraging of activity by cutting the shoots of K. ivorensis. In planting, 6.14% of the trees had regrowth and this percentage may indicate the number of attacked trees. The total trees with regrowth is a large quantity of trees which may develop with problems, generating more than one stem or branch, thereby preclude the affected wood is used for furniture.