scholarly journals Occurrence and characterization of insect galls in the Floresta Nacional de Silvânia, Brazil

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (32) ◽  
pp. 413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bárbara Araújo Ribeiro Bergamini ◽  
Leonardo Lima Bergamini ◽  
Benedito Baptista dos Santos ◽  
Walter Santos de Araújo

In the present paper we investigated the insect gall distribution along savanna and forest sites in the Floresta Nacional de Silvânia, Goiás, Brazil. The insect gall fauna was surveyed bi-monthly between December 2009 and June 2010. In total we found 186 insect gall morphotypes, distributed on 35 botanical families and 61 plant species. Ninety-nine insect gall morphotypes were recorded in the forest and 87 in the savanna. Gall-inducing insects belonged to Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera and Thysanoptera, with highlight to Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) that induced 34.1% of the gall morphotypes. Parasitoids and/or inquilines were recorded in 38 morphotypes, mainly from the families Eulophidae, Eurytomidae and Torymidae (Hymenoptera). Fabaceae was the botanical family with the greatest richness of galls, followed by Asteraceae and Sapindaceae, being Protium (Burseraceae), Siparuna (Siparunaceae) and Serjania (Sapindaceae) the main host genera. This is the first systematic survey of insect galls realized in the Flona-Silvânia, which result in six plant species are recorded for the first time in Brazil as host of insect galls.

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elienai Cândida e Silva ◽  
Benedito Baptista dos Santos ◽  
Walter Santos de Araújo

In this study we perform an inventory of the insect galls in savanna and forest sites of Hidrolândia, Goiás, Brazil. We found 150 insect gall morphotypes, distributed on 39 botanical families and 104 plant species. Among the insect galls, 81 gall morphotypes were recorded in the savanna site and 73 in the forest site. The plant taxa richest in insect galls were the family Fabaceae with 22 gall morphotypes, the genus Bauhinia (Fabaceae) with 15, and the species Siparuna guianensis (Siparunaceae) with seven gall morphotypes. We found gall-inducing insects belonging to orders Diptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Thysanoptera. The galling insects of family Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) were the most common inducing 48.1% of the gall morphotypes. This is the first systematic survey of insect galls realized in the city of Hidrolândia, being this the site with the higher insect gall diversity already cataloged to the Central region of Brazil.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Virginia Urso-Guimarães ◽  
Ingrid Koch ◽  
Ana Carolina Devides Castello

Abstract: The Pantanal Biome occupies 20% of the Brazilian territory extending its distribution over two Brazilian States, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. This Biome is one of Brazil's poorly known regions concerning insect gall and their interactions with host plants. In this study, we characterized for the first time the gall morphology, identified host plants and the gall makers from an area of Brazilian wetlands from Mato Grosso State, known as Pantanal Matogrossense. We sampled Pantanal Biome areas in Poconé municipality, along the Transpantaneira Road, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, in two expeditions, July 2012 and January 2013, with a total effort of 2 hours. We characterized 91 morphotypes of insect galls in 54 host plant species; 28 gall makers in 24 host plant species; the richest host plant families are Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, and Sapindaceae. Psidium guineense Sw. is the super host species. This area in Pantanal Matogrossense is the second in the richness of gall morphotypes (N=91) and average morphotypes/plant species (1.7), comparing phytophysiognomies. Additionally, 15 plant species are new record as host in galler-host plant interaction in the world. This number represents 30% of the total of host plant species sampled in Poconé. This inventory is new knowledge to the Pantanal Matogrossense and representing a unique testimony of insect-plant interactions consumed by the unprecedented fire that occurred in Pantanal Biome in the dry season of 2020.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Santos de Araújo

Abstract:The present study aims to investigate the effects of vegetation structure (plant abundance and height) and soil characteristics (soil organic matter and macronutrients) on insect gall richness, and determine the extent to which these effects are mediated by the indirect effects of plant species richness. The study was performed in forty-nine 100-m2 savanna plots in Parque Nacional das Emas (Brazil) and sampled a total of 985 individual plants of 71 plant species and 97 insect gall morphotypes. Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) induced the most insect galls (38.1%), and the plant family Myrtaceae had the greatest richness of insect gall morphotypes (16). Path analysis of plant abundance, plant height, soil macronutrients, soil organic matter and plant species richness explained 73% of insect gall richness. The results show that soil macronutrient quantity has a direct positive effect on insect gall richness, whereas plant abundance and plant height had only indirect positive effects on insect gall richness via the increase in plant species richness. These findings showed that both plant-related and environment-related factors are important to induce insect gall richness in Neotropical savannas, and that plant species richness should be taken into account to determine the richness of insect galls.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valéria Cid Maia

Abstract: Inventories in Brazilian restingas have been indicating that Myrtaceae are the plant family with the greatest richness of insect galls. A compilation of published data plus new records was elaborated with the aim of stablishing the number of gall morphotypes on this family in this physiognomy of the Atlantic Forest, producing a list of galled species, pointing out the predominant gall features, evaluating the taxonomical knowledge of the gallers, listing the associated fauna, and based on host plant endemisms and monophagy proposing the endemism of some galling species. Myrtaceae harbor 111 morphotypes of insect gall (about 75% induced by Cecidomyiidae, Diptera) on 25 host plant species, 15 endemic. Eugenia L. highlights as the plant genus with the highest number of galled species and gall richness. Leaves are the most galled organ. There is a predominance of globoid and fusiform shapes, green color, glabrous surface and a single internal chamber. The taxonomical data on gallers is deficient as many records have been presented at supraspecific levels. The associated fauna is rich and includes parasitoids, inquilines and predators. Twelve species of Cecidomyiidae, a single species of Curculionidae (Coleoptera) and one species of Eriococcidae (Hemiptera) have been associated exclusively with endemic hosts and then are proposed in the present study as endemic too. The geographical distribution of many galls and respective gallers are restricted to the State of Rio de Janeiro, where most inventories have been carried out. For the first time, Eugeniamyia dispar, previously known from a rural area of Rio Grande do Sul and restinga areas of São Paulo, is recorded in the State of Rio de Janeiro.


2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 278-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valéria Cid Maia ◽  
Marcelo da Costa Souza

The xeric vegetation of Ilha do Cabo Frio (Arraial do Cabo, RJ) was investigated for insect galls, in May, June and August of 2012, totalizing 24 hours of field work. Forty-five morphotypes of insect galls were found on 29 species of host plant (25 genera and 18 families). Asteraceae and Myrtaceae were the most galled plant families. Leaves were the most galled plant organ, with ca. 62% of the total, followed by stems (ca. 22%). Globoid and fusiform galls were the most frequent with about 29% and 24%, respectively. The majority was glabrous (ca. 91%), and one-chambered (ca. 84%). Gallers of 30 morphotypes were determined. They belong to Diptera (Cecidomyiidae), and Lepidoptera. The former was the most frequent. Larvae of Muscomorpha (Diptera) (probably inquilines) were found in a single gall morphotype; parasitoids (Hymenoptera) in seven (ca. 15% of the total), and predators (pseudoscorpion) in a single one. As there is no previous data of insect galls of Ilha do Cabo Frio, all records presented here are new. The geographic distribution of nine species of gall midges (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) is widened. For the first time, eleven plant species are recorded as host of galling insects, and 24 gall morphotypes are described.


2018 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 636-643 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. P. Lima ◽  
D. Calado

Abstract In this study, we report the first records and morphological characterization of galls in a Cerrado area in western Bahia, Brazil. The data were collected monthly over two hours between March and September 2015. Fifteen gall morphotypes were found in twelve plant species distributed among seven families. The plant family with the greatest richness of galls was Fabaceae (n = 8). The following gall morphologies were found: globoid, lenticular, marginal leaf roll, conical, cylindrical, fusiform, spherical and pocket shaped. Cecidomyiidae induced globoid, lenticular, conical, fusiform, spherical and cylindrical morphotypes. In addition, species of microhymenoptera belonging to the Eulophidae, Eurytomidae and Encyrtidae families were found. Marginal leaf roll and pocket-shaped galls induced by Thysanoptera were also verified. Springtails were also identified as a successor. Undescribed species of Schizomyia and Lopesia were recorded in B. cupulata and Andira humilis, respectively.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. ec02017
Author(s):  
Ismael C. Flor

Fifteen insect gall morphotypes were found on 11 plant species (8 families) in three fragments of the Dense Ombrophylous Lowland Forest, in the municipalities of Maracajá, Içara and Araranguá, Santa Catarina. Most of the galls occurred in leaves, followed by stems galls and a single gall morphotype in Leandra sp. (Melatomastaceae), occurred in both leaves and stems. Glabrous and isolated galls were more frequent than hairy and gregarious galls. Lauraceae was the family of plant with greater wealth of galls. It was pointed out the first record of the plant Microstachys serrulata (Euphorbiaceae) for the state of Santa Catarina. Galls found in Ilex theezans (Aquifoliaceae), Microstachys serrulata (Euphorbiaceae), Dahlstedtia muehlbergiana (Fabaceae), Nectandra oppositifolia (Lauraceae), Leandra sp. (Melastomataceae), Miconia sellowiana (Melastomataceae), Myrcia multiflora (Myrtaceae) and Urera nitida (Urticaceae) were recorded for the first time in the State of Santa Catarina.


2022 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. C. Maia

Abstract Several records of associated fauna, including parasitoids, inquilines, predators, and successors, have been reported by insect gall inventories in Brazilian restingas. Although most guilds are well established, inquilines have frequently been misinterpreted. In this paper, the inquilinous fauna of insect galls is revised based on five criteria: food habit; coexistence with the inducer; modification of gall tissues or production of new tissues; phylogenetic relationship with the inducer; and mobility. Gall inventories dated from 1988 to 2019 were examined, totaling 16 publications, eight of them with inquiline records. This guild was reported in 53 gall morphotypes in 44 plant species and four morphospecies distributed among 36 genera of 24 host families for a total of 65 records. Most inquilines were repositioned into the cecidophage guild and others into the kleptoparasite guild, resulting in a large reduction in the frequency of inquilines (from 65 to five records), and in first reports of cecidophages and kleptoparasites, with 46 and 13 records, respectively. Cecidophage was the most diverse guild with insects of five orders (Diptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, and Thysanoptera) while kleptoparasites were represented only by two orders (Diptera and Hymenoptera) and inquiline solely by Hymenoptera. Other results indicate that Leptothorax sp. (Formicidae) could be a successor and not an inquiline.


2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 164-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valéria Cid Maia

Six localities of São Tomé das Letras (MG, Brazil) were investigated from September, 2011 to June, 2012. The local vegetation was examined in search of insect galls. A total of 152 morphotypes of insect galls were found on 94 plant species (74 genera and 37 families). Fabaceae, Melastomataceae, Myrtaceae, and Asteraceae were the plant families with the greatest richness of galls, with 20, 18, 17, and 12 gall morphotypes, respectively. The super host genera were Copaifera L. (Fabaceae), Myrcia DC. ex. Guill. (Myrtaceae), and Miconia Ruiz & Pav. (Melastomataceae), with 10, 10 and 09 gall morphotypes, respectively. The super host species was Copaifera cf.langsdorfii Desf. (Fabaceae), with 10 gall morphotypes. Galls were found on leaves, stems, buds, and aerial roots. Leaves were the most galled plant organ, followed by stems, and buds. The inducers belong to Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, Thysanoptera, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera, being Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) the most frequent and diversified gallers. The associated fauna included parasitoids (Hymenoptera), inquilines (Lepidoptera and Thysanoptera), successors (Formicidae, Hymenoptera), and predators (pseudoscorpion), obtained from 18, 02, 02, and 01 gall morphotype, respectively. Ten galling species are recorded for the first time in São Tomé das Letras (MG). The present study indicates São Tomé das Letras (MG) as an area of great richness of insect galls.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 37-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valéria Cid Maia

Seventy six morphotypes of insect galls were found on 38 plant species and one subspecies distributed among 27 genera and 22 families in Platô Bacaba (Porto de Trombetas, Pará, Brazil). The majority of these galls (about 80%) occurred on leaves and 20% on stems. Burseraceae was the plant family with the greatest number of gall morphotypes (N = 23), followed by Fabaceae (N = 11) and Melastomataceae (N = 6). Protium Burm. f. (N = 17), Inga Miller (N = 8), and Tetragastris Gaertn (N = 6) were the plant genera, and Protium sagotianum Marchand (N = 7), Tetragastris panamensis (N = 6), and Miconia stenostachya DC. (N = 5) were the plant species that supported the highest diversity of galls. The galling inducers belong to Diptera (Cecidomyiidae) and Lepidoptera orders. Galls of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera and Thysanoptera were not found. This study adds evidences that Diptera (Cecidomyiidae) are the most frequent galling insects in different zoogeographical regions.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document