Plantas alimenticias alternativas del picudo del algodonero (Anthonomus grandis Boh.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) en la provincia de Formosa, Argentina: análisis palinológico del tracto digestivo

in the present paper, pollen analysis of boll weevil gut contents, sampled at four sites in formosa province, argentine were carried out. samples were taken from june of 1995 until may of 1997 at the localities of laguna blanca, palma sola, naik neek and buena vista. a total of 647 individuals were disected, and the digestive tract removed. from all the studied boll weevils, 70 % presented pollen in the digestive tract, and 2,404 pollen grains were counted and grouped into 37 polinic types belonging mostly to four botanical families: malvaceae, compositae, solanaceae and euphorbiaceae and at lower percentages to 1% amaranthaceae, leguminosae and polygonaceae. along the study period, the number of pollen grains found in the digentive tract contents was highly variable, being in general less abundants during winter months.