On the presence of six species of Naupactini damaging soybean in Brazil

Abstract

We report six broad-nosed weevil species of the genus Naupactus(Curculionidae: Entiminae: Naupactini) damaging soybean plants in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: N. leucoloma Boheman, 1840, N. minor(Buchanan, 1942), N. peregrinus (Buchanan, 1939), N. purpureoviolaceus Hustache, 1947), N. tremolerasiHustache, 1947 and N. viridisquamosus(Boheman, 1859.)Some of them are recorded for the first time in Brazil. They belong to species groups of Naupactus naturally distributed in the prairies of southern Brazil, Uruguay, central Argentina and Paraguay. Due to their parthenogenetic reproduction four of them have been introduced, established and expanded in other countries outside South America. The most common specie and broadly distributed in central region of Rio Grande do Sul is N. purpureoviolaceus. The six species in conjunction with other native species of Naupactini could cause severe damages to soybean crops if the root feeding larvae attack young growing plants.