MOSCA MINADORA ASSOCIADA À CULTURA DO MELOEIRO NO SEMI-ÁRIDO DO RIO GRANDE DO NORTE

Abstract

The objective of this paper was to know the species of the leafminer (Diptera: Agromyzidae) associated with melon plant Cucumis melo L., in the Chapada do Apodi, semi-arid region of the Rio Grande do Norte state, and report losses due to leafminer mining. This way, leaves infested with leafminer larvae were collected in the field and carried to laboratory, in order to obtain pupae. These pupae were placed inside glass containers until adults emergence. All identified adults belonged to Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess). In some farms leafminer caused losts that range from 10 to 15% of the whole area, due to low fruit ºbrix value. From pupae also emerged some Opius sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) individuals, a leafminer natural enemy, endoparasites the larva-pupae of L. trifolii.