Distribution of Carabidae and Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in forest fragments and crops and potential of predation in the Northeastern region of the São Paulo State

Abstract

The project aim to study the Carabidae and Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) species distribution in five places constituted each one of them a forest fragment adjacent to a soybean/com field or an orange orchard. This study objective are: a) to determine whether the forest fragments are supporting a species assemblage different from that of the surrounding crops; b) the extent the species present in the forest fragment and crop interact at the habitats boundary; c) to analyze the population fluctuation of dominant species. This study will also evaluate the potential of carabids and staphylinids as predators of fourth instar Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hübner, 1818) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The objectives of the research are the foIlowing: a) to determine which carabid and staphylinid species wiIl be able to kill A. gemmatalis, considering all species captured during the surveys; b) to compare the consumption partem of carabids and staphylinids selected species; c) to estitpate carabid and staphylinid predation of A. gemmatalis in the field. Characteristics of the places: one of the place is located at the campus of Universidade Estadual Paulista, in the Jaboticabal municipality, São Paulo State, whose geographical coordinates are 21 °15'22" S and 48°18'58" W, altitude 595 m, the yearly average temperature is 22.2°C and the yearly average rainfall is 1,425 mm. The soil type is classified as Oxisol, and it is constituted of a 40 ha field of which has been cultivated with soybean rotated with com in a no-tillage system, having adjacent 15 ha of semideciduous broadleaf tropical forest fragment. Another two places are located in the Guaíra municipality, São Paulo State. The distance between each other is about 2 km, and the geographical coordinates are 20°34'05" S and 48°37'05" W, altitude 490 m, the yearly average temperature is 24°C and the yearly average rainfall is 1,550 mm. The soil type is classified as oxisol. One of them is an 88.6 ha field which has been cultivated with soybean rotated with com in a no-tillage system, having adjacent 48 ha of semideciduous broadleaf tropical forest fragment. The other one presents a 15 ha field which has been cultivated with soybean in a conventional tillage system, having adjacent 6 ha of semideciduous broadleaf tropical forest fragment. The fourth place is located in the Taiúva municipality, São Paulo State, whose geographical coordinates are 21 °07'56" S and 48°27'12" W, altitude 621 m, the yearly average temperature is 24°C and the yearly average rainfall is 729 mm. … (AU)