UTILIZAÇÃO DE SUCO DE JENIPAPO PARA COLETA DE VESPAS SOCIAIS E CRISOPÍDEOS NO IFMG – CAMPUS BAMBUÍ

The Cerrado is one of the world’s main biodiversity hotspots; however, it is under intense anthropogenic pressure, making studies focused on monitoring and conserving entomofauna essential. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of food baits in capturing predatory insects, as well as to compare the abundance of these organisms in different Cerrado fragments located at IFMG – Campus Bambuí. Collections were carried out over five weeks using traps made from 2 L PET bottles, with two different baits, passion fruit juice and genipap juice, deployed in three distinct areas. Data were analyzed using parametric statistical analyses with a significance level of 5%. The results showed a significant difference between the baits used, indicating higher efficiency of passion fruit juice. In contrast, no significant difference was found in the average weekly abundance of insects among the evaluated fragments, suggesting environmental similarity between the studied areas. Additionally, captures of other insect groups were recorded, indicating the potential of native fruit-based baits for future studies. It is concluded that the evaluated fragments have equivalent importance for the conservation of local entomofauna.