ABSTRACT
Species of the genera Psyllobora (Coccinellidae) are mychophagists acting as important biological control agents of fungi in nature. In this work it was reported the occurrence of the lady beetle Psyllobora confluens (Fabricius) in powdery mildew, Erysiphe cichoracearum De Candolle infected okra plants, in the Andradina municipality, western region of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The species occurrence was determined by a populational survey conducted bi-weekly in okra, Santa Cruz cultivar, selecting 20 plants and collecting different developmental stages of the coccinellid. During the survey 621 larvae, 78 pupae and 68 adults of P. confluens were collected. The incidence of P. confluens indicates the importance of this lady beetle as biological control agent of E. cichoracearum in okra. It is claimed to be the first report about the presence of P. confluens in okra in the western region of São Paulo State.
KEY WORDS
Biological control; lady beetle; powdery mildew; mycophagy