Assessment of Eulechriops rubi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) attack in a blackberry orchard Tupy cultivar

Abstract

The cultivation of blackberry is pointed out as an important alternative to family farming. In addition to intrinsic factors of production, the lack of data on the behavior of insect pests in the crop makes it difficult to guide management actions and it harms producers. The blackberry borer (Eulechriops rubi) is an example, as the lack of information on the pest leads to losses of around 40%. The aim was to present field information on the attack behavior of E. rubi in blackberry orchard throughout the year, in different cultivation areas. The experiment was carried out in a commercial orchard located in Vacaria, RS, Brazil. Stems were collected from two distinct areas: Open Commercial Orchard Area (OCO) and the Ecological Diversity Area (EDA). The collections were carried out in December, March, June and August. The stems were segmented and analyzed for the presence of galleries and pest larvae. Of the total number of stems analyzed, 35% have E. Rubi galleries. There was variation in the percentage of damage depending on the area: OCO 49% and EDA 14%. Most of the damage is found in the apical part of the stems, with descending galleries. The presence of larvae occurs until mid-September.