Insects associated to Guayaba (Psidium guajava L.) in Catacamas, Honduras

Abstract

Guayaba (Psidium guajava L.) is a fruit from tropical and subtropical countries, it grows in various conditions of hot and dry climates. The main objective of this study was the identification of the main insects associated with the crop of guayaba, the study was developed between the months of September to December 2018 in the fruit section of the National University of Agriculture in Catacamas, Honduras, for this research, traps were placed to capture insects, among them, the Pitfall-traps, and the McPhail trap. 10 sampling sites were chosen, where the traps were placed. The distance between sampling points was 96 square meters between Pitfall-traps and at a height of 1.5 meters for the McPhail trap. The collection of samples for each trap was carried out every 15 days, identifying the insects found by each type of trap during the months of study, 13 orders, 40 families, 45 genders and 37 species of insects associated to guayaba were found, with 10 different insect feeding habits. The families with the greatest abundance and richness in guayaba were: Muscidae, Lauxaniidae, Tephritidae, Apidae and Formicidae, the main feeding habits were phytophagous, saprophytic, predatory, parasitoid, nectarivore, hematophagous, omnivore, detritivore. Insect diversity was estimated using the Shannom-weaver diversity index, the mean diversity index found was 1.061.