Atividade de vôo de esfingídeos (lepidoptera: bombycoidea phingidae) em área protegida de caatinga, Estação Ecológica do Seridó, Serra Negra do Norte/RN

Abstract

In order to meet both species as the lunar variables, weather and sex ratio of the Lepidoptera family Sphingidae (Lepidoptera: Bombycoidea), a survey was conducted during the period from August 2002 to July 2003. The geographical area was Ecological Seridó Station (ESEC Seridó), Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA-RN), located in the city of Serra Negra North, 330 km from the state capital, the city of Natal, in full savanna hyperxerophilic served. It was used as attractive mechanism, a light trap combining the mixed light 250W mercury vapor with a common fluorescent lamp 10W, mounted in the call House entrance, to 4.07 km from the headquarters of the said Unit of Conservation. This Trap Illuminated Wall (API) was put into operation from 18:00 to 06:00 the next morning for two nights in a row before and the day of each lunation. Data as maximum and minimum temperatures, rainfall and sky coverage were noted during the collection periods. The hawkmoths copies were killed with an injection of ammonia hydroxide between the thorax and the abdomen, in ventral region, then placed in envelopes designated times. The identification was based on D'Abrera (1986). As a result, there was obtained a total of 5,846 individuals allocated in 13 genera and 24 species, whose distribution showed a marked shortage abundance and the rainy season, during the summer season. The most significant lunation, in terms of number of copies, was, in total, the first quarter, and the most abundant species was Callionima grisescens elegans (Rothschild, 1894). Regarding preferably horarial, were chosen the ten most significant species in terms of number of individuals, thus revealing a remarkable synchronization between males and females in most of the observed species.