Entomofauna associated with sugarcane in Panama
The diversity of entomofauna associated with sugarcane in Panama was investigated. Arthropods were collected using plastic bottle traps, pitfall traps, and direct captures placed in field sites located in three sugarcane zones (agriculture, proximity of water stream, and proximity of mangrove swamp) during 26 months, from January 2015 to February 2017. In total, 4735 individuals were collected representing two classes, 14 orders, 48 families, and 81 species that included phytophagous arthropods, predators, parasitoids, coprophagous insects, florivores, and omnivores. The five most abundant families by numbers of individuals were Formicidae (39.41%), Termitidae (12.25%), Pyralidae (10.22%), Drosophilidae (7.18%), and Araneidae (5.72%). The five most diverse families by species were Formicidae (11), Araneidae (5), Pompilidae (4), Curculionidae (3), and Chrysomelidae (3). The most abundant ants were Ectatomma sp. (18.98%) and Camponotus spp. (15.37%), and the dominant spiders were Alpaida veniliae (Keyserling) (3.36%), Eriophora ravilla (C.L. Koch) (1.35%), and Leptofreya bifurcata (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge) (1.10%). Fifteen pest species were found in sugarcane. The richness of species deserved in sugarcane fields provides support for the design of an integrated pest management program in the context of the local agroecosystem interactions and farming practices. These studies will ultimately support conservation of existing biodiversity.