ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY

181

Determination of sugars and their relation

with the attractiveness of food bait to
fruit-feeding butterflies

Tatiane Tagliatti Maciel1 ; Bruno Correa Barbosa1 ; Helba Helena SantosPrezoto1,2 ; Jair Adriano Kopke Aguiar3 ; Fabio Prezoto1 .
Email: tatitagliatti@hotmail.com
1 Laborat
orio

de Ecologia Comportamental e Bioac

ustica LABEC, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora; 2 Centro de Ensino Superior Juiz de Fora;
3 Laborat
orio de An
alise de Glicoconjugados, Universidade Federal de Juiz
de Fora, Juiz de Fora The broad use of attractive baits collecting butterflies
in species inventories is due to its feasibility and low cost, which are easily
accomplished with fermented fruit baits. Hence, the objective of this study
was determined the sugars and their relation with the attractiveness of food
bait to fruit-feeding butterflies. We carried out the present study in the
Botanical Gardens of the UFJF, ranked as expressive richness, with endangered species with predominance of pioneer plant complex. The baits analyzed, were: pineapple with sugarcane juice, banana with sugarcane juice,
and banana with water. To test whether the insects were attracted by odor
or sugar content, we performed a test with synthetic essences of pineapple
and banana. To estimate the sugar content of the baits, we measured reducing sugars (fructose and glucose) using the DNS method. We analyzed
baits after 48, 72, and 96 h of fermentation, and also not fermented baits.
To determine the sugars was carried out paper chromatography. All baits
contained fructose, glucose, and sucrose, but their concentration measured
by the DNS method was higher in the pineapple with sugarcane juice bait.
This result was corroborated by paper chromatography. The higher sugar
concentration in the pineapple with sugarcane juice bait can explain the
higher capture success of butterflies with this bait (44%). Hence, our results
suggest that lepidopterans are attracted by sugars and other substances
present in baits or released by fermentation instead of being attracted by
the odor of the fruit itself, according to the test with artificial fragrances.
However, the difference in sugar concentration between baits was not significant. Although the pineapple with sugarcane juice bait showed higher
sugar concentration and better capture success, there were no significant
differences between baits. For a more detailed diversity inventory, though,
we recommend a set of three baits, as each captures a different set of species.
Keywords Fermentation; Lepidoptera; Method; Nymphalidae
183