The lace bug Leptopharsa heveae Drake & Poor (Hemiptera: Tingidae) is one of the most import heveiculture pests in Brazil, mainly in the southeast and central-west regions. Due to its sucking habit on the abaxial surface, this pest causes precocious senescence in leaves, and leads to the reduction in latex production in up to 30% of them. Among the natural enemies of L. heveae is the egg parasitoid Erythmelus tingitiphagus (Soares) (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), regulating populations of L. heveae in natural conditions. The objective of this work was to verify the population dynamics of this parasitoid, as well as to correlate it with meteorological factors such as temperature and rainfall, in a commercial plantation of rubber trees of the PB 217 clone, in Itiquira, in the Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Four mature leaves were collected weekly, on the lower stratum of canopy of PB 217 clone in 40 trees, totaling 160 leaves in each sampling, from August, 2006 to January, 2007. There was a positive correlation between population dynamics and meteorological factors, the population peak of the parasitoid being observed in November and declining until January in the study area.
Biological control; Hevea brasiliensis; Population flotation
