Dispersal patterns and flight activity of Phyllophaga capillata (Blanchard) (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae) in soybeans in central Brazil

Abstract

Abstract Mark-release-recapture studies have been used to evaluate the dispersal ability of different insect species. In the field, we evaluated the dispersal ability of the soil pest species Phyllophaga capillata (Blanchard) (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae) in soybean (Glycine max L.) crop, and the flight activity of this species under controlled conditions. Field studies were conducted on a soybean seed production farm in Planaltina/DF, Brazil. On four dates, adults of P. capillata were collected, sexed, marked and released in a soybean plot (~ 230 ha). Twelve light traps were set in three concentric circles, with four traps each, at distances of 50, 150 and 250 m from the point of adult release. Under controlled conditions, groups of adults (males and females) were separated into pots containing soil, and the flight ability of the specimens was evaluated daily for 72 h. The average recapture rate of adults was 1.93% for the four collection dates. The highest recapture rate was observed at a distance of 50 m, at the beginning and middle of the swarming period, and at 250 m at the end of the swarm. Males, in general, were more active than females and reached the greatest distance of displacement (250 m). Most specimens (69.5% of males and 52.9% of females) were prone to leave the ground on the three consecutive days of the study. These results provide insights for understanding the dispersal patterns of this pest species in agricultural landscapes.