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• Autor(a) principal: Lenzi, Maurício
• Data de Publicação: 2006
• Outros Autores: Juliana Soares, Juliana Soares, Orth, Afonso Inácio
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Biotemas (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/biotemas/article/view/21152

Predation of Opuntia monacantha (Willd.) Haw. (Cactaceae) by Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in a sand bank area of Santa Catarina island, south Brazil. The genus Opuntia is worldwideknown for its ecological, ornamental and agronomic importance. Some  species became pests in the countries in which they where introduced, and  as biological control, Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)larvae, originary from Argentina, were used. However, the effect of the attack of this piralid on native cactus has yet not been elucidated. The objective of this study was to detect and to quantify the predation of C. cactorum on Opuntia monacantha. The study was carried out from September to November of 2004, along pre-defined tracks, on a sand bank vegetation area, between the Mole and Galheta beaches in the Santa Catarina island (27º35’83.1’’S e 48º25’70.6’’W). All the studied plants (n = 20) presented some damage caused by C. cactorum. The proportion of unpredated cladodes (68%) and fruits (85%) was higher than the predated ones. Terminal cladodes were highly predated structures and presented the highest number of larvae inside. Seed loss in  the predated fruits was high. The remaining areole of the predated cladodes and fruits differentiated into sprouts and routs and formed new plants. O. monacantha, despite of being predated by C. cactorum larvae, apparently possess defense mechanisms which assure the maintenance of  its populations.