Records of insects associated with wild plants of cocuy in Lara State, Venezuela

Studies were conducted to gain new understanding of insects associated to wild plants of cocuy, Agave cocui Trealease, under field and laboratory conditions. In the field, leaves, corms and flowers, were carefully examined for insect species. Collected adult insects and immature stages were taken to the laboratory where immature stages were reared until the adult stage. Specimens were then pinned, tagged, and deposited at the collection of the Jose M. Osorio Museum of Entomology (MJMO). Raymond Gagne, from the Smithonian Institute, Washington D. C., and Mario Cermeli, from the National Agricultural Research Center (CENIAP) identified cecidomyiids and aphids, respectively. Other specimens were identified by comparison with the specimens deposited at the Museum of the Institute of Agricultural Zoology (MIZA), Universidad Central de Venezuela. The following species were reported: Aphis craccivora Koch (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Asphondylia sp. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), Chrysomphalus sp. (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), Dismycoccus sp. (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), Phidotricha erigens Ragonot (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), Scyphophorus acupunctatus Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The registration of insects that attack cocuy wild plants may be useful in the future for the establishment of an integrated pest management system.