John Alexander Pulgarin Díaz¹, Jhon Alveiro Quiroz-Gamboa², Carlos Espinel-Correal³ 1-Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria - AGROSAVIA. Centro de Investigación El Nus – Vereda Ica, Corregimiento San José del Nus, San Roque, Antioquia, Colombia. E-mail: jpulgarin@agrosavia.co, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0554-8254 2-Museo Entomológico Francisco Luis Gallego, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede Medellín. 3-Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria - AGROSAVIA. Centro de Investigación Tibaitatá, Km 14 vía Mosquera, Cundinamarca, Colombia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8872-7188 Predators of Gonipterus platensis (Marelli, 1926) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larvae in Antioquia, Colombia Introduction Goal Methods Results and discussion The eucalyptus snout beetle, Gonipterus spp. are a pest of eucalyptus worldwide (Figure 1). Gonipterus platensis was first reported in Colombia in 2016, threatening and causing economic losses in more than 60.000 ha of Eucalyptus spp. planted in the country. Classical biological control of these species has been effective in some countries with Anaphes nitens (Girault) and A. inexpectatus Huber & Prinsloo, 1990 (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), and complemented with different natural enemies (NE) (Nascimento et al. 2017). The goal of this work was to survey natural enemies of G. platensis larvae and adults in its current distribution in Antioquia (Colombia), as first steps for an integrated pest management program (IPMP). Larvae of G. platensis were surveyed from 24 th January 2019 to 27 th March 2019 for the presence of parasitoids and predators in isolated eucalyptus trees (San Pedro de los Milagros, Don Matías and Rionegro municipalities) and plantations (Santa Rosa de Osos, Medellín and Caldas municipalities) in Antioquia, Colombia. Caldas and Rionegro were sampled twice. 165 larvae of different stages were collected from shoots and youngest leaves, 20.6 on average/locality, where NE were also surveyed. Larvae were maintained at room conditions (26–30 °C, 70-80% HR) for fourteen days. Adults of Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae) (Figure 2), the multicolored Asian lady beetle is an invasive species, were observed drumming larvae and egg capsules with antennae in Caldas and Rionegro municipalities, but in the laboratory five collected specimens fed on exposed eggs and small larvae of G. platensis. H. axyridis is a generalist predator of soft-bodied insects, utilized in biological control programs around the world. It is perhaps most well-known for its non-desired impacts as displacement of native coccinellids through resource competition, intraguild predator and its impact on non-target arthropods (Koch and Galvan 2008). Adults and nymphs of Podisus congrex (Stål, 1862) (Pentatomidae: Asopinae) (Figure 3, Figure 4), pos- sible first Colombian report, were observed in Caldas and Rionegro municipalities preying on larvae of different stages. Eleven nymphs were reared feeding on larvae of different development. No para- sitoids emerged or visible evidence of parasitism was noticed. P. congrex is a predator with generalist feeding behavior. Podisus nigrispinus Dallas (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), species native to Brazil, which feeds primarily on insect larvae (Torres et al. 2006), was reported preying on larvae and adults of G. platensis in Brazil (Nascimento et al. 2017). These authors also indicate that laboratory evidence indicates that this species is an efficient native predator of G. platensis larvae, what constitutes an im- portant step in the development of IPMP for G. platensis. As both Podisus species are native species, have minimal side-effects on other native species compared to exotic species (Torres et al. 2006), as H. axyridis, also found preying on G. platensis in this research. Podisus congrex has potential to be used as biological agents to control G. platensis. However, the of these species for G. platensis population control should be assessed in order to be included in an IPMP. www.agrosavia.co References Koch, R. L., and T. L. Galvan. 2008. Bad side of a good beetle: the North American experience with Harmonia axyridis. BioControl 53: 23-35. Nascimento, L. I., Soliman, E. P., Zauza, E. Â. V., Stape, J. L., & Wilcken, C. F. (2017). First global record of Podisus nigrispinus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) as predator of Gonipterus platensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larvae and adults. Florida Entomologist, 100(3), 675-678. Torres, J. B., Zanuncio, J. C., & Moura, M. A. (2006). The predatory stinkbug Podisus nigrispinus: biology, ecology and augmentative releases for lepidoperan larval control in Eucalyptus in Brazil. Biocontrol News and Information, 27(15), 1-18. Keywords: eucalyptus snout beetle, Gonipterus platensis, Harmonia axyridis, Podisus congrex, predators Figure 1. Gonipterus platensis ( Marelli , 1926) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) the eucalyptus snout beetle. Figure 2. Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae), the multicolored Asian lady beetle. Figure 3. Podisus congrex (Stål, 1862) (Pentatomidae: Asopinae) preying on Gonipterus platensis (Marelli, 1926) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larvae.. Figure 4. Podisus congrex (Stål, 1862) (Pentatomidae: Asopinae) nymphs preying on Gonipterus platensis (Marelli, 1926) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larvae.