Abstract

The jatoba, Hymenaea stigonocarpa Mart. Ex Hayne (Fabaceae), is a tree species native to the Brazilian Cerrado and is recommended for recovering degraded areas. The fruit of this species is used for food and traditional medicine purposes, and its propagation occurs occurs through seeds. This study aimed to record, for the first time in Brazil, the occurrence of an insect pest on jatoba fruits. We sampled 58 H. stigonocarpa fruits from September to October 2017, on a typical Brazilian Savanna area in the municipality of Monte Carmelo, Minas Gerais (18°50′26″ S and 47°19′04″ W). The emergence of nine adults belonging to the Ectomyelois muriscis (Dyar, 1914) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) species was recorded on four jatoba fruits (6.9%). The insect only occurred on injuried fruits. The larva was fed from the pulp of the fruit until reaching the pupa stage, but not consuming the seeds. This is the first record of E. muriscis on jatoba fruits in Brazil.

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