Community of ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on kale (Brassica oleraceae var. acephala) intercropped with coriander (Coriandrum sativum), under organic management.

Abstract

Agroecological approaches to organic vegetable production to diversify the crops, encouraging persistence, abundance and diversity of natural enemies that act in the biological control of insect pests. In this context, the present study has as objectives to determine the diversity and the community structure of the ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) associated with aphids in kale cultivated intercropped with coriander. The study was conducted in the experimental farm of integrated crop-livestock production called of Sistema Integrado de Produção Agroecológica (SIPA), in Seropédica (RJ, Brazil). The experiments were carried out and involved the intercropped system of kale with coriander inrelation to kale in the monocrop system, in order to determine the diversity of ladybirds by collection of specimens through removal sampling. A total of 25 ladybird species are present in the SIPA. There was no infestation by aphids in kale intercropped with coriander, which was used by the ladybirds as food site, oviposition site, refuge for larvae, pupae and adults, and mating site.