PREFERÊNCIA DE CORTE DE Acromyrmex crassispinus (FOREL, 1909) E Acromyrmex ambiguus (EMERY, 1887) (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) POR DIFERENTES ESPÉCIES DE EUCALIPTOS EM LABORATÓRIO

The search for new leafcutter ant management and control methods have been the aim of several studies over the country, propelled by economic and environmental aspects. The establishment of resistant or less preferred species for the cut can contribute substantially in this subject. This way, the objective of this study was to evaluate the cutting preference between the species Corymbia citriodora, Eucalyptus benthamii, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus dunnii, Eucalyptus globulus and hibrido de Eucalyptus urophyllaXEucalyptus grandisby Acromyrmex ambiguus and Acromyrmex crassispinus in laboratory. Therefore, leafs were offered simultaneously to six colonies of each species in bioassays with chance to choose. However, in the tests without chance to choose, only the least preferred species in the previous test were utilized. For Acromyrmex crassispinus, the species Eucalyptus camaldulensis and hibrido de Eucalyptus urophyllaX Eucalyptus grandiswere the most cutted, besides Corymbia citriodora, Eucalyptus dunni and Eucalyptus globuleswere less preferred. Acromyrmex ambiguusshowed similar preference pattern, adding Eucalyptus benthamiiamong the most preferred one and excluding Eucalyptus dunniifrom the least preferred.