Flowering plants as food resources for Chrysoperla externa (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) in coffee plants: implications for conservation biological control

• Grant number: 25/13278-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Alessandra Marieli Vacari
• Grantee: Ana Julia Cintra
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria Adjunta de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação. Universidade de Franca (UNIFRAN). Franca , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Chrysoperla externa (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) is a generalist predator widely used in biological control programs, including pest management in coffee cultivation. However, adult individuals require alternative food sources such as nectar and pollen to maintain longevity and reproductive capacity in the field. This project aims to evaluate the effects of different flowering cover crops on the biological performance of C. externa in Coffea arabica systems. Experiments will be conducted under controlled conditions, with and without choice, using plant species such as Fagopyrum esculentum, Crotalaria spectabilis, and Brachiaria ruziziensis, in combination with coffee plants, to identify those that most benefit predator survival and oviposition. The results will support the selection of plant species with potential for agroecological arrangements that enhance conservative biological control in coffee plantations. The findings will also contribute to technical recommendations for growers and biofactories using C. externa in augmentative biological control programs.