Identificación y fluctuación poblacional de insectos polinizadores en palma aceitera (Elaeis guineensis Jacquin) en el sur del lago de Maracaibo, estado Zulia, Venezuela

oil palm (elaeis guineensis jacq.) is the oil crop that produces the most oil quantity per area unit and it could cover -in the future- the vegetable oil demand in venezuela. the oil palm high productivity is the result of a permanent production of bunches, which depends in high measure of pollinating insects. in this research, pollinating insect's population fluctuation was studied, with the purpose to know the current situation of these insects, as native ones as those introduced. systematic surveys were carried out between december 2002 and november 2003, on a 3 years old oil palm plantation, located in ？francisco javier pulgar？ municipality, zulia state. samples were taken from male inflorescences in anthesis (mia) and in the female inflorescences in anthesis (fia), traps were placed to capture the insects; which were identified per species and they were counted for. also, a register of the monthly rainfall and temperature of area was made. the main species found were elaeidobius kamerunicus faust, e. subvittatus faust and m. costaricensis gillogly. thrips hawaiiensis morgan was also observed and one smicripidae coleopteron. among the climatic variables studied, rainfall affected the pollinating insect's population, because dry conditions caused a decrease of pollinating activity in elaeidobius and the m. costaricensis species. at the same time it was observed that the e. kamerunicus and the m. costaricensis were more commonly found in relation to the fia and mia, respectively.