Abundance and diversity of Scelionidae was determined in three plots of cacao (
Theobroma cacao
), subjected to three different types of cultural management, at the localities of Choroní, Cuyagua and Cumboto. The sampling methods were: pan traps, interception traps, Malaise and sweeps. The samples were taken during the dry season (dry, beginning of the wet season, wet season, and end of the wet season, in 1999. The traps operated one week, and 250 sweeps were made in each plot byseason. A total of 14577 specimens of 183 morphospecies belonging to 39 genera were collected.
Telenomus Haliday species can not be properly separated, and hence were not included in the analysis. Greatest abundance was found at Cuyagua (6 124 specimens), highest richness and diversity at Cumboto (166 species; α= 30,8). Interception traps caught 6594 specimens and yellow pan traps 5134 specimens; richness and diversity were similar with both methods (α=26,4 y α=25,8 respectively). Intensity of cultural practices and climatic season did not affect captures.
Telenomus was the most abundant genus (5464 specimens). Other important genera were:
Idris(1241 specimens and 47 species);
Cremastobaeus (1065 specimens, 3 species);
Trimorus (629 specimens, 18 species);
Gryon (440 specimens, 17 species).