INSECT COMMUNITY DURING THE CYCLE OF THE MAIZE CROP IN DIFFERENT AGROECOSYSTEMS

Abstract

The knowledge of insect diversity is critical for ecological and management studies. Thus, the objective of this study was to understand the insect community in maize crop with the use of light traps in different corn growing regions and seasons. The experiments were conducted in Barretos, SP, Ponta Grossa, PR, Capinópolis, MG and Santa Helena de Goiás, GO during eight different seasons (1999-2001). The insects were sampled weekly during the entire cycle of the corn crop with the use of light traps. A total of 179,669 specimens and 390 different species were collected in this study. The estimation of the richness, diversity and evenness indexes showed that insect community varies from region to region and from season to season. The largest amount of specimens collected and the lowest evenness index were found during the summer in comparison to the data observed during the fall and winter maize growing seasons. Based on the main component, Kruskal-Wallis and cluster analyses, significant differences in the insect community were detected among maize growing regions and seasons. Therefore, to evaluate the environmental impact of any insect control agents on insect community, it is essential to conduct studies in different maize growing regions and seasons.

Keywords

• faunistic analysis
• light trap
• biodiversity
• Zea mays