Ampliação da coleção entomológica didática do CESP-UEA: coleta, identificação e conservação de insetos em caixas entomológicas na região do baixo amazonas

Abstract

This work describes the activities carried out in the project Expansion of the Didactic Entomological Collection of CESP-UEA: Collection, Identification, and Preservation of Insects in Entomological Boxes in the Lower Amazon Region. The project aims to expand the entomological collection of CESP through the collection of specimens from the class Insecta, organize the main orders into entomological boxes, preserve the collected material dry, and identify and catalog the individuals at the family level. This collection, composed of specimens from different orders of the class Insecta, suffered significant deterioration during the suspension of in-person activities caused by the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, which compromised its pedagogical use. In response to this situation, new insect collections were carried out in natural areas of the municipalities of Parintins (AM) and Terra Santa (PA), using active and passive capture methods, as well as the preparation of specific materials for preservation, identification, and mounting of specimens. A total of 227 insect species were collected, belonging to 69 families distributed across 9 orders of the class Insecta. The most representative orders in terms of species number were Coleoptera (57 species), Hymenoptera (43 species), and Lepidoptera (42 species). The order Coleoptera also exhibited the greatest family diversity (13 families), followed by Hymenoptera (11), and Lepidoptera and Diptera (10 each). The families Chrysomelidae and Scarabaeidae, from the order Coleoptera, stood out as the most abundant, reflecting the entomological richness of the Amazon region. The mounting techniques included direct pinning, double mounting, and the use of spreading boards for lepidopterans, ensuring proper specimen preservation. The project also included the systematic organization of the collection and the preparation of a checklist with information on the collected species. The results highlight the diversity of the regional entomofauna and reinforce the importance of biological collections as educational and scientific tools. The revitalization of the collection strengthens practical teaching on topics such as biodiversity, ecology, and taxonomy, stimulates interest in science and environmental conservation, and directly contributes to the training of skilled professionals.