Research article http://www.revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/refame Phytophagous insects in tamarind crop with emphasis on those causing fruit damage in the nearby Western of Antioquia Insectos fitófagos en el cultivo de tamarindo con énfasis en los que causan daño al fruto en el Occidente cercano Antioqueño doi: 10.15446/rfnam.v71n3.69705 Mariana Mercado-Mesa1, Verónica M. Álvarez-Osorio1, Jhon Alveiro Quiroz2 and Sandra B. Muriel1* ABSTRACT Keywords: The tamarind is an important fruit for small producers of the nearby Western of Antioquia because it is Fruit-tree offered in various presentations to tourists who visit the region. However, there are some quality prob- Pests lems related to the presence of insects that generate difficulties in its commercialization. The objective of Pod quality this study was to determine the phytophagous insects in this tree, with emphasis on insects that cause Infestation percentage the greatest fruit damage; in five farms of Santa Fe de Antioquia and Sopetran. The insects associated Damage grade to each organ of six trees per farm were collected, each of their damage was described and they were identified as detailed as possible. Three phytophagous insects causing the greatest fruit damage were prioritized, determining their infestation percentage (IP). Therefore, a scale of damage was designed and 30 fruits per tree were evaluated. Eleven phytophagous insects associated to tamarind crop were found, five of them affecting the fruit: Caryedon serratus, two Phycitinae moths, Sitophilus linearis and Hypothenemus obscurus. Five new pest registers for tamarind in Colombia were reported: H. obscurus, Toxoptera aurantii, Trigona sp., Ectomyelois ceratoniae and, Acromyrmex octospinosus. The average IP value for C. serratus, the Phycitinae moths and, S. linearis were 19.5%, 8%, and, 2.5%, respectively. The first two affect the pulp and S. linearis affects the seed. The most frequent damaged (43% - 52%) was grade 1 while the lowest percentages (0% - 4%) corresponded to grades 4 and 5. RESUMEN Palabras clave: El tamarindo es un fruto importante para los pequeños productores del Occidente cercano Antioqueño, Frutal en cuanto a que se ofrece en diversas presentaciones a los turistas que visitan esta región. Sin Plagas embargo, algunos problemas de calidad, relacionados con la presencia de insectos en este fruto Calidad de vaina generan dificultades para su comercialización. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar los insectos Porcentaje de infestación fitófagos de los árboles de tamarindo, con énfasis en los que causan mayor daño al fruto. En cinco Grado de daño fincas de Santa Fe de Antioquia y Sopetrán, se recolectaron los insectos asociados a cada órgano, de seis árboles por finca, se describió su daño y se identificaron hasta el nivel más detallado posible. Tres insectos causantes del mayor daño en el fruto tuvieron prioridad, determinándose su porcentaje de infestación (PI). Para ello, se diseñó una escala de daño y se evaluaron 30 frutos por árbol. Se encontraron once insectos fitófagos asociados al tamarindo, de los cuales cinco registros son nuevos para el tamarindo en Colombia: H. obscurus, Toxoptera aurantii, Trigona sp., Ectomyelois ceratoniae y Acromyrmex octospinosus. Cinco insectos atacan al fruto: Caryedon serratus, dos polillas Phycitinae, Sitophilus linearis e Hypothenemus obscurus. El PI promedio para C. serratus, las dos polillas Phycitinae y S. linearis fue de 19,5%, 8% y 2,5%, respectivamente. Los tres primeros afectan la pulpa y S. linearis ataca a la semilla. El daño más frecuente (43% - 52%) fue de grado 1 y los grados 4 y 5 se presentaron en menores porcentajes (0% - 4%). 1 Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Politécnico Colombiano Jaime Isaza Cadavid. Calle 48 No 7 – 151, Medellín, Colombia. 2 Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. AA 3840, Medelllín, Colombia. * Corresponding author: <[email protected]> Received: January 8, 2018; Accepted: April 5, 2018 Rev. Fac. Nac. Agron. Medellín 71(3): 8553-8562. 2018 ISSN 0304-2847 / e-ISSN 2248-7026 Mercado-Mesa M, Álvarez-Osorio VM, Quiroz JA, Muriel SB 8554 amarind (Tamarindus indica L.) is an African (Kumar, 2016) and, the fruit moth Tophlebia ombrodelta native species (El-Siddig et al., 2006) adapted to Lower, (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) (Gupta et al., 2017). semi- tropical arid conditions (Gupta et al. 2017). Other less important phytophagous species are Aspidiotus It is a very important crop for municipalities of destructor Signoret, Planococcus lilacinus Cockerell and, Tthe nearby Western of Antioquia (Colombia), since its Otinotus oneratus Walker (Butani, 1978; Ojo and Omoloye, fruit is offered in various presentations to the tourists 2015). Reports from other regions of the world show that who visit this region. Several local familiar confectionery tamarind is affected by different moths such as Mussidia microenterprises sell tamarind as a fresh fruit, or process nigrivenella Ragonot, Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zell., Plodia the fruit to elaborate, pulps and juices. Antioquia is one of interpunctella Hübner, Cadra figulilellaGregson , Phidotricha the two Colombian departments with the greatest tamarind erigens Ragonot (Solis, 1999), Paralipsa gularis Zell. (Kumar, production according to El Ministerio de Agricultura y 2016) and, Corcyra cephalonica Station (Devi, 2016). Desarrollo Rural de Colombia - MADR (2013a), with the 30.3% of participation in the national production of The objective of this study was to determinate the this crop. In this department, the tamarind production is phytophagous insects of the tamarind crop, focusing on carried out in two municipalities of the nearby Western of those that cause the greatest fruit damage, in five farms Antioquia: Santa Fe de Antioquia and Sopetran, each of in Santa Fe de Antioquia and Sopetran. them with 59.9% and 40.1% of participation, respectively. The tamarind yield in the region of Antioquia (3.2 t ha-1) MATERIALS AND METHODS is lower than in the Atlántico region (5.6 t ha-1) (MADR, Location 2013b), this situation had to be analyzed with the purpose The study was carried out in five farms, four in the to improve the production of this fruit crop. municipality of Sopetrán (6°30’21,5’’N, 75°44’24,8’’W) and one in the municipality of Santa Fe de Antioquia The tamarind fruit in the nearby western of Antioquia is (6°33’18,35’’N, 75°49,32’’W) (Figure 1). These farms are obtained from dispersed trees or from traditional production located in a tropical dry forest zone (Holdridge, 1982) where systems. This fruit has low quality related to lightweight, the average temperature is 27 °C, the annual mean rain small size, presence of insects and fungi that can discredit precipitation of 1097 mm and, the mean relative humidity the products of small-scale confectionery enterprises is of 73.2% (Álvarez et al., 2015). (Correa, 2015). The most important pests of the fruit in the region, according to Muñoz and Rueda (2009) Sampling are Cadra cautella Walker, (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) (or In each farm, six sweet tamarind trees and six acid tamarind Ephestia cautella), Caryedon serratus Ol., (Coleoptera: trees were selected, giving a total of thirty trees of each Bruchidae) and Sitophilus linearis Herbst, (Coleoptera: phenotypes, considered in such a way, because the Curculionidae). These insects cause high loss of fruits and characters that define a phenotype correspond in their low quality of the products elaborated with them, since, great majority to the morphological description of the occasionally, insect parts are found in tamarind sweets plant and its architecture (Álvarez, 2016). The trees of (Muñoz and Rueda, 2009). In Mexico, the borer C. serratus each phenotype were selected according to the criteria of is the biggest causative of damage, nevertheless, there each producer, corroborating the taste of the fruit. These are others Lepidoptera and Coleoptera that affect the fruit were distributed in paddocks and their ages varied from (Orozco et al., 2012): the spittlebug (Cercopidae), ants 20 to 70 years of age. Atta and Acromyrmex and, the stem borer Trachyderes mandibularis Dupont, (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) (Orozco, A detailed revision of each tree was made in situ, as 2001; Orozco et al., 2009; Orozco et al., 2011). Nicholls (2008) suggests, from September to October 2015 and from January to February 2016 each 15 days. Tamarind insect species of the most economic importance In addition, a sampling of the soil was made consisting in in India in the scale are Aonidiella orientalis Newstead, taking five subsamples from holes 20 cm deep distributed (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) (Patel, 2015), the mealybug in the diameter of the area over the ground below the tree Nipaecoccus viridis Newstead, (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) canopy, these samples were taken with a shovel. Rev. Fac. Nac. Agron. Medellín 71(3): 8553-8562. 2018 Phytophagous insects in tamarind crop with emphasis on those causing fruit damage in the nearby Western of Antioquia Antioquia Cauca river National highway Colombia Cotové Santa Fe de Antioquia Sopetrán El Abrujo El Ensueño La Ceiba Los Comunes South America San Jerónimo Sampled farms Scale 1:100.000 0 2.500 5.000 10.000 15.000 20.000 Meters Figure 1. Geographic location of Tamarindus indica sampling sites, in Antioquia-Colombia. The leaves and flowers that showed some symptom of of the tamarind is traditionally done in the region with the damage were cut and stored in zip-ploc plastic bags, and shaking of the tree method. The fruit were taken to the the collection of insects from the symptom was done with laboratory for reviewing. The insects in juvenile stages, a jama or wet brush. The adult insects were deposited present in the fruits, were grown in plastic boxes until the in Falcon and Eppendorf tubes with 70% of alcohol with emergence of adults. Ten individuals of each species were its data collection, to be identified later. The bark was conserved to describe the damage and habits, as well revised in a similar way as the previous organs, from as to observe their possible reproduction and survival.