The infestation of seeds by insects and their negative effects on food production, especially in family farming, is a challenge due to the reduction on seedling performance and the quality of the final product (Grenha et al., 2008;Santos et al., 2019). Damage caused by insect feeding on seeds may reduce nutrients, viability, weight and expose them to pathogens (

Management programs and efficient techniques are necessary to recover degraded ecosystems. The sewage sludge is rich in nitrogen (N) and with the potential to fertilize Sapindus saponaria L. (Sapinales: Sapindaceae), used in the recovery of degraded areas; this can affect the insect fauna. The study's objective was to evaluate, for 24 months, the abundance of chewing insects, dipterans, pollinators, and predators on S. saponaria plants fertilized with or without dehydrated sewage sludge in a degraded area. The experimental design was completely randomized (with the same characteristics) with two treatments (with or without dehydrated sewage sludge) and 24 replicates, each with one plant. The abundance of Anastrepha sp. (Tephritidae), Cerotoma sp. (Chrysomelidae), Curculionidae, Musca domestica L. (Muscidae), Mantis religiosa L. (Mantodea: Mantidae), Oxyopidae, Salticidae, Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera), and Teudis sp. (Anyphaenidae) was higher on fertilized plants. The abundances of Teudis sp. and Tmarus sp. (Thomisidae) and M. religiosa and Teudis sp. were positively correlated with chewing insects and Diptera, respectively. The population increase of insects and spiders on S. saponaria plants fertilized with dehydrated sewage sludge (bigger crowns) has shown to be suitable for recovering degraded areas with a higher number of niches and better food quality, improving the ecological indices of the area.

Plant species, monitoring measures, and alternative fertilization with sewage sludge accelerate recovering of degraded areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the numbers of leaves/branch and branches/plant of Sapindus saponaria L., the ground cover by this plant and the ecological indexes of abundance, diversity, and species richness of insects and spiders, and of their interactions, during 24 months on trees grown in a degraded area with or without dehydrated sewage sludge as fertilizer. The metrics of plant, soil cover, and arthropods were higher on the S. saponaria plants fertilized with dehydrated sewage sludge. The abundance of chewing insects, tending ants, and spiders was greater on larger S. saponaria tree crown. The abundance of these last groups of organisms associated, negatively, with that of Coleoptera, but those of ants reduced that of the predators. The ecological indexes of arthropods on S. saponaria plants shows the suitability of this plant for recovering programs of degraded areas and the use of dehydrated sewage sludge as fertilizer increased these indices and the possibility of using insects and spiders on the crown of this plant as bioindicators.

Sapindus saponaria L. (Sapindaceae) is a pioneer species used in programs to recover degraded areas. The trees also assist in the pest control of some insects due to the composition of saponins on their leaves. In addition, these chemical components are important to pharmaceutical product production. The objective was to evaluate the impact of spatial distribution, indices and ecological relationship of arthropods on S. saponaria leaves to preserve the balance of biodiversity. Aggregated distribution of arthropods was observed; the numbers of phytophagous arthropods were higher on the adaxial leaf face than on the abaxial part. Only Aleyrodidae (Hemiptera) had a higher presence on the abaxial leaf face of S. saponaria saplings. Abundance, diversity, and species richness of natural enemies correlated positively with phytophagous and pollinators insects. On the other hand, the number of Lyriomyza sp. mines correlated negatively with Pseudomyrmex termitarius (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). All this information can assist and guide integrated pest management programs.

Forest restoration is mainly based on plant-soil relationships and plant species with economic potential, but those between insects and other arthropods are also important to this reestablishment. The objective was to evaluate, during 24 months, the relationships between tending ants, Hemiptera phytophagous, predators and their distribution pattern (aggregated, random or uniform). The arthropods were sampled, stored and identified and their relationships and distribution patterns calculated with the BioDiversity-Pro software. The number of tending ants and phytophagous Hemiptera, Brachymyrmex sp. and Aethalion reticulatum, Cephalotes and Aleyrodidae were positively correlated. Tending ants were negatively correlated with Sternorrhyncha predators on A. auriculiformis saplings. The distribution of arthropods was aggregated, except for Teudis sp. and Cephalocoema sp., with a random pattern. The herbivores Stereoma anchoralis, Aethalion reticulatum and Tetragonisca angustula and the predators Brachymyrmex sp. and Dolichopodidae were the most abundant arthropods. The relationships between the arthropods studied on A. auriculiformis indicate that this plant, even introduced, is suitable for programs to recover degraded areas in the savannah.