Efeitos de aditivos em dieta artificial para Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée, 1854) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Abstract

Tomato production is greatly affected by insect species with pest status. One of the key species of insect pests that most affects this crop is Neoleucinodes elegantalis, (Guenée, 1854), popularly known as the small tomato borer. Chemical control has been the most used method for the control of this pest and the intensive use of insecticides promotes the evolution to resistance. Insecticide resistance in N. elegantalis has not been evidenced by the lack of an adequate toxicological test method, since the larvae of this species penetrate the fruit shortly after hatching. The performance of toxicological tests can be made possible with an artificial diet. Given this scenario, this study aimed to improve an artificial diet designed for a Leucinodes orbonalis (Guenée, 1854) type in order to make it suitable for N. elegantalis. For this purpose, a population of N. elegentalis was maintained on a natural diet. Neonate larvae from this population were inoculated in artificial diets using different procedures of agar, cellulose, vitamins C and E, Vanderzant and Vitagold Vitamin Blend. The results induced a low larval viability, which interfered in the evaluation of the other adopted biological parameters, updating in no satisfactory improvement of the diet. However, the addition of 0.5% cellulose was the concentration that constitutes the increase in larvae viability. Therefore, more studies are included, since obtaining an artificial diet for this species, which helps in mass breeding and in toxicological tests in the laboratory for monitoring resistance, it is extremely important to assist in the integrated management of N. elegantalis.