Preferência alimentar de Opsiphanes invirae em cultivares de palma de óleo

The objective of this study was to evaluate the attractiveness and food consumption of Opsiphanes invirae by folioles of different genotypes of palm oil. Choice and no-choice tests were performed using newly hatchet larvae of O. invirae aged 12 days. Five genotypes were used, such as Deli × LaMe, Compact × Ekona, Deli × Ekona, Compact × Nigeria, and Compact × Ghana, planted in 2008. In the choice test, the preferred genotypes were Compact × Ekona at 3, 5 and 30 minutes with insects size 1.70, 2.20, and 0.60, respectively, and the Compact × Ghana at 48 and 72 hours with insects sized 0.80 and 1.10, after the release of the caterpillars, while the Compact × Nigeria was the less attractive and less consumed in both tests with newly-hatched larvae. In the tests with caterpillars aged 12 days, no difference was found for attractiveness. In the no-choice test, the Deli × LaMe treatment was the least consumed genotype, the Compact × Ghana, although little attractive, was the most consumed in the choice and no-choice tests. The genotype Compact × Nigeria showed non-preference resistance for supply with newly hatched caterpillars of O. invirae.