Integrated pest management in tropical regions

The Tropics, geographically limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer (to the north) and the Tropic of Capricorn (to the south), are characterized by limited seasonal differences, with a mean warm to high temperature and a high humidity level almost all year round, at most with difference between a dry and a rainy season (McGregor and Nieuwolt, 1998). Plant diversity and biology are influenced by these peculiar climatic conditions and herbivores may develop almost continuously throughout the year in these regions, showing homodynamic cycles and high biodiversity, whatever their trophic habits. Slightly similar features are shown by the Subtropics, which extend from the Tropics to the temperate regions (to about 40° latitude) and are characterized by warm to hot summers and cool to mild winters, thus with a well-defined seasonality but with almost rare frost (Rohli and Vega, 2015). This relative similarity between Tropics and Subtropics allows frequently tropical crops to be cultivated also in subtropical areas, with only gradual smooth changes of cultural contexts with increasing latitude and some overlap of agroecological environments, including the species composition of pests, their population dynamics and phytosanitary importance.