Exigências térmicas da praga do coqueiro Atheloca subrufella (Hulst)(Lepidoptera: Phycitidae) / Thermal requirements of the coconut pest Atheloca subrufella (Hulst) (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae)

ABSTRACT

Among the important pests of coconut, the coconut moth Atheloca subrufella (Hulst) is a significant pest of flowers and fruits, and is found across all coconut-producing regions in Brazil. We investigated the thermal requirements of A. subrufella and estimated the number of generations for two different growing coconut regions in Pernambuco State. The developmental time of all immature stages reduced as the temperature increased. The egg to adult period ranged from 19.3 to 59.8 days from 32ºC to 18ºC, respectively. The survival of the period from egg to adult was 25 percent at extreme temperatures (18ºC and 32ºC), while at the intermediate temperatures it was over 72 percent. Based on the thermal requirements determined for A. subrufella and the average temperatures determined for "Zona da Mata" and "Sertão" of Pernambuco State, it was estimated that A. subrufella is able to complete up to 13 generations per year in both areas. These results indicate that A. subrufella exhibited development and reproduction limited by temperatures higher than 32ºC and lower than 18ºC. However, based on the thermal requirements of A. subrufella and the mean temperatures of the "Zona da Mata" and "Sertão" of Pernambuco State, this pest can develop throughout the entire year.