Fontes polínicas do bicudo-do-algodoeiro (Anthonomus grandis Boheman 1943, Coleoptera: Curculionidae) no período de entressafra: Estudo de caso nooeste da Bahia

Abstract

Brazil is currently the world leader in cotton exports, a feat achieved through technological advancements and the significant investment made in Bahia in recent years, which is also the second-largest cotton exporter in the country. The primary pest affecting cotton is the cotton boll weevil, whose entire biological cycle occurs within the cotton's reproductive structures, directly impacting product quality and causing losses for farmers. During the off-season, the remaining cotton crops are destroyed, leading to the dispersion of the boll weevil into the native forests surrounding the agricultural fields. This study aimed to inventory the plants that are crucial for the survival of the cotton boll weevil during the off-season and crop rotation. For this, a pheromone trap was used in three farms: one located in the municipality of Luís Eduardo Magalhães (sample LEM) and two in São Desidério (samples SDO1 and SDO 2), in order to establish the boll weevil’s feeding ecology. By recovering pollen grains from the boll weevil’s digestive tract, it was possible to identify 98 pollen types, with 42 types exclusive to the SDO2 farm, 12 types exclusive to LEM, and five types exclusive to the São Desidério 1 farm. During the rotation period, 26 pollen types were identified, with 18 types exclusive to SDO2 and five to SDO1. The identified pollen types suggest a stronger preference for polliniferous plants, which may indicate the importance of proteins in the boll weevil’s survival during the off-season. Studying the feeding ecology of the boll weevil can contribute to environmental control strategies, as it provides data on migration, dispersion, and control of volunteer plants, helping to reduce the boll weevil's impact on the next cotton harvest.