Revelando vespas predadoras em sistema agroflorestal sucessional com cafeeiro

Abstract

Agroforestry systems have been widely recognized as an effective agronomic management practice that promotes dynamic and resilient ecosystems. The integration of tree, shrub, and herbaceous species with different life cycles, sometimes coupled with animal rearing, results in soils richer in readily available nutrients that plants can assimilate efficiently. These beneficial interactions foster healthier plants, thereby reducing the need for pesticides and fertilizers, and offer advantages both to the environment and to the producer. Moreover, the ecological interactions provided by agroforestry sistems bolster both biodiversity and productivity. In Brazil—and especially in the Triângulo Mineiro region - coffee is a crop of significant economic importance and demonstrates good adaptation to shaded agroecosystems, enhancing both environmental and productive benefits. Within this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the diversity of predatory wasp species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in an agroforestry system featuring coffee in the Cerrado Mineiro region. Conducted at the experimental area of the Federal University of Uberlândia, Monte Carmelo Campus, at an altitude of 901 meters, the experiment encompassed an area of 1,225 m². Sampling was carried out monthly between September 2022 and July 2024 using Moericke traps installed at nine points, positioned at 0.5 and 1.0 meters above ground level. A total of 78 individuals from the superfamily Vespoidea were collected; these specimens were organized into taxonomic groups and analyzed in terms of frequency, abundance, constancy, and dominance. The Vespidae family was the most representative, notable for including species that are predators of agricultural pests, such as Apoica gelida, as well as the species Brachygastra lecheguana, Synoeca surinama, and Polybia spp.—all associated with the control of the coffee leaf miner (Leucoptera coffeella). Additionally, solitary species sampled, such as Eumeninae gen. sp.2, also play a significant role in preying on herbivorous lepidopterans that inflict damage on coffee leaves. The results reinforce the importance of predatory wasps for biological control in agroforestry systems with coffee and for the conservation of biodiversity. This study provides valuable insights for integrated pest management and environmental conservation, highlighting the potential of biodiverse agroforestry systems as alternatives to conventional agricultural systems.