Aproximación al estudio de la tribu Coccinellini (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae, Coccinellinae) de Colombia

Abstract

The coccinellids belong to the order Coleoptera, one of the largest and most important groups of insects, which with their biology contribute to ecosystems, especially as predators of pests that affect agricultural crops. In this way, these insects contribute significantly to the reduction of aphidrophage pests that deteriorate the congenital development of crops. In Colombia, there is almost no studies of these coleoptera, so this research focuses on the review of the main entomological collections of Cundinamarca, focused on the study of the coccinellini tribe, which is very important due to its predatory capacity. Through a morphological and anatomical revision of these insects, following the proposal of González (2016) and specialized texts, the variety of species belonging to this tribe was identified. There were 515 individuals, belonging to 12 genera and 16 species. The most relevant morphological characters for the determination of the tribe were: back glabrous and without hairiness, elytra score, postcoxal lines and antenna length. The most representative species recorded in this research were Harmonia axyridis, Cycloneda sanguinea and Eriopis punicola important to the control of pests in crops such as potatoes, corn, sorghum, wheat, coffee, cotton, among others. According to the collection data found in the respective labels of the revised collections, it can be estimated that in Colombia there is a large presence of coccinellini in the Andean region, with great concentration in the central area of the country as in departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá stand out. In addition, the Chloroneda genus is reported for the first time for Colombia and possibly a new Chloroneda cf metallica, however, it is necessary to continue with the study of these individuals in the entomological collections. Given the altitudinal data, a distribution of 0 to 3000 meters above sea level. The results of this research contribute to the knowledge of coccinellids in Colombia and South America, to be included in integrated pest management programs and agroecological strategies in promising Colombian crops.