Gall-inducing insects from Serra do Cabral, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

Abstract:Our goal was describe the gall richness through the characterization of their external shapes and occurrence patterns in their host plants from Parque Estadual da Serra do Cabral. In a universe of 34 families, 64 genera and 89 plant species, 47 gall-inducing insects in 21 families, 32 genera and 39 host plant species were recorded. The families, which hosted higher gall richness, were those with highest abundance. Asteraceae represented 33% of the species collected followed by Malpighiaceae 8% and Fabaceae 8%, each one concentrating 25%, 19% and 8% of gall-inducing insects, respectively. The organ most attacked was the leaf (51%), followed by the stem (42%) and the terminal branch (4%). Ninety-six percent (96%) of galls were glabrous. Only 25.5% of the galls described in our study have been already recorded in previous studies, reinforcing the need to increase the sampling effort toward a better understanding of the richness, distribution, and natural history of gall-inducing insects from Brazil. Resumo: Objetivo deste estudo foi descrever a riqueza de morfotipos de galha por meio da caracterização de suas formas e os padrões de ocorrência em suas plantas hospedeiras no Parque Estadual da Serra do Cabral. Num universo de 34 famílias, 64 gêneros e 89 espécies de plantas, foram registradas 47 espécies de galhas induzidas por insetos em 21 famílias, 32 gêneros e 39 espécies de plantas hospedeiras. As famílias que concentraram maior riqueza de insetos galhadores foram as famílias mais abundantes. A família Asteraceae representou 33% das espécies coletadas, seguida das Malpighiaceae 8% e Fabaceae 8%, cada uma concentrando 25%, 19% e 8% das espécies de insetos galhadores, respectivamente. O órgão mais atacado foi a folha (51%), seguido do caule (42%) e ramo terminal (4%). Noventa e seis por cento (96%) das galhas foram glabras. O fato de apenas 25% das galhas descritas neste estudo já terem sido registradas em trabalhos prévios, reforça a necessidade em aumentar o esforço amostral na direção de um maior conhecimento sobre a riqueza, distribuição e história natural dos insetos indutores de galhas no Brasil. Palavras-chave: biodiversidade, biogeografia, herbivoria, planta hospedeira, interação inseto-planta. Carneiro et al. (2009a) gall description associated with the identification of the host-plant species is a reliable indication of the galling insect richness. About 95% of described species of Cecidomyiidae from Brazil can be identified based on their external shape associated with the host plant on which they occur, reinforcing the use of this methodology as reliable in galling studies (Price et al. 1998, Blanche 2000. The sampled host plants and their galls were mounted and deposited in the herbariums OUPR e BHCB (acronyms according to Holmgren et al. 1990). The collected plants were separated into families and were then identified by specialists to the lowest taxonomic level possible. The classification of plant species followed the system proposed by Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III (2009). The galls wer...

Insect galls of the Parque Nacional das Emas (Mineiros, GO, Brazil)

“…For example, 62 gall morphotypes were recorded in savannas and forests of the Parque Estadual da Serra dos Pireneus (Araújo et al 2011). In others studies were recorded 47 morphotypes in the Parque Estadual da Serra do Cabral (Coelho et al 2013) and 38 gall types in the Parque Estadual Paulo César Vinha (Bregonci et al 2010). These results indicate that PARNA-EMAS have a great diversity of galling insects.…”

An overview of inventories of gall-inducing insects in Brazil: looking for patterns and identifying knowledge gaps

“…Due to the large floristic diversity of Brazilian grasslands, forests and savannas (Forzza et al 2012), Brazilian biomes are likely to harbor 2004, Bergamini et al 2017). Myrtaceae was found to be more important in Atlantic Forest inventories (e.g., Rodrigues et al 2014, Maia and Silva 2016, while Asteraceae was found important in inventories of Atlantic Forest (e.g., Fernandes et al 2001 and Cerrado (Carneiro et al 2009, Coelho et al 2013b). The main reason for the great importance of Fabaceae, Myrtaceae and Asteraceae as superhosts of gall-inducing insects is the high number of species they encompass (Araújo 2011).…”

Representativity of the genus Asphondylia Loew, 1850 (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) in Brazil

“…Literature data were compiled from six papers retrieved from the Web of Science (Carneiro et al, 2009a;Maia, 2013a;Maia et al, 2008b;Maia & Fernandes, 2005;Gagné et al, 2001), 51 Brazilian gall inventories (Almada & Fernandes, 2011;Araújo et al, 2011;Araújo et al, 2014;Bregonci et al, 2010;Carneiro et al, 2009b;Coelho et al, 2009;Coelho et al, 2013a;Coelho et al, 2013b;Costa et al, 2014;Dreger-Jauffret & Shorthouse, 1992;Fernandes & Negreiros, 2006;Fernandes et al, 1988;Fernandes et al, 1997;Fernandes et al, 2001;Gagné et al, 2001;Gagné, 1994;Gagné, 2004;Gonçalves-Alvim & Fernandes, 2001;Julião et al, 2002;Maia & Carvalho, 2016;Maia & Fernandes, 2004;Maia & Fernandes, 2005;Maia & Oliveira, 2010;Maia & Souza, 2013;Maia et al, 1992;Maia et al, 2008a;Maia et al, 2014;Maia, 2001;Maia, 2004;Maia, 2011;Maia, 2013b;Maia, 2014;Mendonça et al, 2014;Oliveira & Maia, 2005;<...>…”