Famílias de Hymenoptera parasitoides associadas ao cafeeiro em sistemas agroflorestais sintrópicos no Triângulo Mineiro

Abstract

Coffee cultivation plays a strategic role in Brazilian agribusiness, particularly in Minas Gerais, which accounts for 1.86 million hectares under production. Syntropic agroforestry systems (SAFs), based on ecological succession and stratification, represent a sustainable alternative to conventional coffee cultivation while adding value to the product. Agricultural crops in SAFs can benefit from the presence of natural enemies, such as parasitoids, which exploit resources provided by the agroforestry environment. This study aimed to estimate and compare the diversity of Hymenoptera parasitoid families associated with two syntropic agroforestry coffee systems in the Cerrado Mineiro region. The study areas consisted of a syntropic agroforestry system in Monte Carmelo (SAFMC, 0.12 ha) and another in Estrela do Sul (SAFES, 0.30 ha), both cultivating different varieties of Arabica coffee [Coffea arabica L. (Rubiaceae)]. Bimonthly collections were carried out from September 2022 to March 2023 using Moericke traps installed along three coffee rows, with nine sampling points per area. Each point contained two traps mounted on bamboo stakes at 0.5 m and 1.0 m above ground level, filled with a preservative solution (water, detergent, and salt) and exposed for 48 hours. Collected material was sorted and identified at the family level. Abundance was compared using PAST software, and faunistic indices were analyzed with ANAFAU. The abundance of Hymenoptera parasitoids differed significantly between the two systems (Student’s t test, p = 8.35 × 10⁻⁵; α = 5%; n = 18). In SAFMC, 207 individuals were recorded (26.2%), while SAFES yielded 584 individuals (73.8%). In both areas, the most representative families were Encyrtidae, Diapriidae, Mymaridae, Platygastridae, and Ceraphronidae, together accounting for more than 65% of the specimens. In SAFMC, Ceraphronidae (18.4%), Encyrtidae (15.5%), Mymaridae (12.1%), and Platygastridae (11.1%) were predominant, very frequent, and very abundant, while Eulophidae and Trichogrammatidae also stood out as frequent and constant families. In SAFES, Encyrtidae (33.4%) and Diapriidae (17.8%) predominated, both classified as very frequent and very abundant. Encyrtidae, Braconidae, and Eulophidae were particularly relevant for the biological control of coffee pests, with exclusive occurrences of Eupelmidae in SAFMC and Bethylidae in SAFES. Therefore, syntropic agroforestry systems favor the conservation of parasitoid Hymenoptera and stand out as a sustainable strategy for the integrated pest management of coffee.