Seasonal abundance of brown burrowing bug Atarsocoris sp. (Hemiptera: Cydnidae), in degraded pasture from Jaguapitã-PR

Abstract

The stinkbugs of the family Cydnidae, as Atarsocoris sp., are pests that occurr in many crops, causing significant losses in areas with high populational rates. They can also be associated with some weed plants. The main goal of this research was to evaluate the seasonal distribution of Atarsocoris sp. in degraded grasslands during one year. It was verified that the highest levels of nymphs occurred in January and October, which corresponded to the highest humidity rates, due to the rainy period. Adults of Atarsocoris sp. did not show the same tendency. Nevertheless, the highest and the lowest populational levels occurred one month after the highest and the lowest populational levels of nymphs, specially when the big nymphs (4th and 5th instar) were considered.