New geographical distribution and seasonality of Costalimaita ferruginea (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on Eucalyptus urograndis in Guiricema, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

Costalimaita ferruginea (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a voracious defoliator, responsible for big losses associated to eucalyptus plantations. The attack of this pest can be characterized by the appearance of holes in the leaves and consequent fall, which reduces the photosynthetic potential, and thus slows the development of plants attacked. The objective of this research was to report the new occurrence and characterize the period of attack of beetle C. ferruginea in plantations of hybrid Eucalyptus grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla (= Eucalyptus urograndis) (Myrtaceae) in municipality of Guiricema, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The period of monitoring started in December 2006 and extended until December 2012. The first attacks of C. ferruginea in this region started in the end of September, and showed a peak of population and greater intensity of damage from mid-October until the second week of November.

Keywords

• Attack
• damage
• populational peak
• “Zona da Mata”