Evaluation of baits for trapping of Neotropical flower chafer beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Cetoniinae)

The lack of a standardized protocol to efficiently capture flower chafer beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Cetoniinae) in the wild limits studies regarding the ecology of the group, as well as systematic collections seeking species surveys for taxonomic studies, especially in the Neotropical region. We investigate the efficiency of different baits to capture flower chafer beetles in the Brazilian Cerrado: (i) banana; (ii) banana + sugarcane juice; (iii) pineapple; (iv) pineapple + sugarcane juice; (v) sugarcane juice; or (vi) water (control). From January to December 2014, we sampled these beetles using a typical aerial fruit‐baited trap, every 15 days in ten sites of Brazilian Cerrado, in Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Traps baited with banana + sugarcane juice, pineapple + sugarcane juice and sugarcane juice alone sampled the greatest species richness and abundance of flower chafer beetles when compared to the other baits used. Our results indicated the importance of sugarcane juice, either used in isolation or as a coadjutant in the fermentation process of the tested fruits for efficient sampling of flower chafer beetle biodiversity. Finally, studies that investigate the addition of other substances in the fermentation process of the fruits, as well as the attractiveness of other native or exotic fruits that are widely distributed in the Neotropical region, can advance our knowledge of sampling of these beetles.