Feeding habits of Carabidae (Coleoptera) associated with herbaceous plants and the phenology of coloured cotton

Portuguese. RESUMO. Os carabídeos (Coleoptera: Carabidae) são considerados predadores polífagos e importantes inimigos naturais de insetos pragas. No entanto, pouco se sabe sobre os hábitos alimentares destes besouros. Neste trabalho, determinamos o tipo de conteúdo alimentar no trato digestivo de nove espécies de Carabidae associados a plantas herbáceas e diferentes estágios de crescimento de algodão colorido. O conteúdo alimentar foi avaliado no cultivar de algodão colorido BRS Verde Gossypium hirsutum L. latifolium Hutch. e nas adjacencias da área com algodoeiro, foi inserido canteiros com plantas daninhas e plantas herbáceas floriferas (PHF) Lobularia maritima (L.), Tagetes erecta L. e Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. A análise trato digestivo indicaram vários tipos de dietas e artrópodes relacionados com Abaris basistriata, Galerita brasiliensis, Scarites sp., Selenophorus alternans, Selenophorus discopunctatus e Tetracha brasiliensis. Os carabídeos estudados foram considerados predadores polífagos, alimentando-se de diferentes tipos de presas.

English. ABSTRACT. The carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are recognized as polyphagous predators and important natural enemies of insect pests. However, little is known about the feeding habits of these beetles. In this work, we determine the types of food content in the digestive tracts of nine species of Carabidae associated with herbaceous plants and different growth stages of coloured cotton. The food contents were evaluated for beetles associated with the coloured cotton cv. BRS verde, Gossypium hirsutum L. latifolium Hutch., adjacent to weed plants and the flowering herbaceous plants (FHPs) Lobularia maritima (L.), Tagetes erecta L., and Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. The digestive tract analysis indicated various types of diets and related arthropods for Abaris basistriata, Galerita brasiliensis, Scarites sp., Selenophorus alternans, Selenophorus discopunctatus and Tetracha brasiliensis. The carabids were considered to be polyphagous predators, feeding on different types of prey.