Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) injurious to grapes in the semiarid region of Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil

摘要

Commercial cultivation of grapes (Vitis sp.) is expanding in the semi-arid region of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) state, Brazil. However, one of the key aspects for successful grapevine cultivation is a knowledge of the pests affecting the crop, especially in regions where cultivation is recent and in the initial phase of expansion. Consequently, the study objective was to conduct the first-ever study of damage by bees to grapes in the semi-arid state of Rio Grande do Norte, and to quantify the losses caused by the attack. The study occurred in a vinyard planted with ‘Itália’ and ‘Isabel’ varieties, located in a semiarid region of RN, in the Mossoró municipality. Studies quantifying damage occurred in the dry season (August - September 2014) and rainy season (February - March 2015). The bees Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Trigona spinipes Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Apidae) were observed to cause damage to bunches of grapes only during the dry period of the year. The bees caused significant losses in the ‘Isabel’ and ‘Italia’ varieties, with 75.94 and 72.11% of bunches having more than 5% of grapes damaged, respectively.