“Entomofauna asociada a distintos genotipos de cacao Theobroma cacao L.”

Abstract

Cacao, Theobroma cacao L., is one of the most cultivated species due to its great socioeconomic importance in Latin America as it is one of the main exportable products. The crop is exposed to phytophagous insects, predators and parasitoids, among others. This study aimed to identify the entomofauna associated with four cacao genotypes. During the period from November 2022 to March 2023, this research was carried out in a 2800 m2 cacao plot at the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Technical University of Manabí, Lodana parish, Santa Ana canton, province of Manabí. Of 24 rootstock/graft combinations existing in the lot, four combinations were selected: EET-399/CCN-51, EET-400/EET-484, IMC-67/EET-575 and POUND-12/EET-484, distributed in three blocks. Samples were taken every fifteen days using yellow traps, alcohol traps, leaf sampling and ear sampling. The number of phytophagous, natural enemies (predators and parasitoids), and the number of scolytines were counted. The damage to the cob by bugs of the genus Monalonion was also estimated. Phytophagous individuals belonging to three Families were captured in the yellow traps, of which Membracidae was the most abundant (n=184) with no differences between genotypes. Four scolytines taxa were found, the most abundant being Hypothenemus sp. (n=88) without detecting differences between genotypes. Among the natural enemies, predators were captured, belonging to three families of which Dolichopididae (n=194) stood out with no statistical differences between genotypes. Five families of parasitoids were detected, the most abundant being Scelionidae (n=827) with no differences between genotypes. Monalonion damage on the ears varied from 10 to 20%, the highest levels of which were detected in EET-399/CCN-51. These results contribute to the knowledge of the entomofauna associated with cacao, which to date has been little studied in Ecuador.