Host preference of Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: curculionidae) in corn varieties

Authors

  • Ester Letícia da Silva Amaral Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Rio Largo
  • Katiussia Carneiro de Peixoto Figueiroa Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Rio Largo
  • Maria Luiza Sabino de Farias Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Rio Largo
  • Lissandra Silva Moreira Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Rio Largo
  • Mariana Oliveira Breda Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Rio Largo

Keywords:

Weevil, stored grains, insect pests

Abstract

Corn crop is considered one of the most important agricultural crops worldwide and has great importance in Brazilian agriculture, being characterized by its various forms of use, presenting itself as a source of raw material for the manufacture of typical products of Brazilian cuisine. Corn is essential for food security, as it is considered a food of high energy value, representing the second most important cereal in terms of world production, surpassed only by wheat. Several economic losses have been observed due to the storage of seeds, among them, the emergence of insect pests. Several pests can cause serious economic damage and compromise the quality of grains in corn, among them it is worth mentioning the weevil of corn Sitophilus zeamais Mots, 1855 (Coleoptera: curculionidae), which can compromise up to 30% of the corn grains stored. The insect causes problems in the quality and germination quantity of seeds. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the host preference of S. zeamais in the paired varieties of corn identified as Recife X corn Alagoas corn. For this, test arenas with choice were used, consisting of 03 plastic pots linearly interconnected by connecting tubes. In the central pot, 10 adults of S. zeamais were released and after 24 hours the choice was verified. As a result, there was no host preference among the varieties of corn x corn Alagoas (ꭓ2=0.01; P=0.90), indicating that S. zeamais has similar infestation capacity in both varieties of pairing.

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Published

2022-12-21