Natural enemies of the gall-maker Eugeniamyia dispar (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae): predatory ants and parasitoids

Mendonça, Milton de Souza; Romanowski, Helena Piccoli

doi:10.1590/s1519-69842002000200011

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Our data indicate that adult gall midge females were either unable to lay eggs due to the presence of patrolling ants, or that midges actively avoided trees with this ant species. Ant workers of a generalist Pseudomyrmex ant have been reported to open leaf galls in Eugenia trees (Myrtaceae) and kill the larvae (Mendonça & Romanowski 2002). In contrast, in myrmecophytic Hirtella myrmecophila , defending Allomerus octoarticulatus ants seem unable to detect gall chemical cues, as gall extracts and galled leaf extracts did not recruit more workers than non‐galled leaf extracts (Izzo et al., 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association patterns of swollen‐thorn acacias with three ant species and other organisms in a dry forest of Panama

et al. 2021

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Ants in obligate defense mutualisms with plants protect them against potentially damaging organisms. In the swollen-thorn acacias, organisms linked to the plant inform about the interaction between the tree and the resident ant colony. Some organisms coexist with the aggressive mutualistic ants: specialized herbivores and organisms using the enemy-free space. Conversely, trees inhabited by non-defending ants usually hold a greater load of generalist herbivores and are avoided by organisms looking for the ant protection. We aimed to elucidate the association type between swollenthorn acacias (Vachellia collinsii) and the almost unstudied Pseudomyrmex simulans ants from Panama. We compared the presence of non-ant organisms on trees inhabited by P. simulans, a well-known mutualist (P. spinicola) and a facultative parasite (non-defending ants; Crematogaster crinosa). We recorded non-ant organisms (e.g., stem galls, acacia true bugs, spiders) that nest, lay eggs, or live on the trees. Except for stem galls, all other non-ant organisms were mostly or exclusively found on trees with the mutualists, which is also the most common resident ant. P. simulans is less able to deter galling midges (Cecidomyiidae) than C. crinosa and even less than P. spinicola, because trees with P. simulans were more likely to have galls and in greater densities than on C. crinosa-trees, and even more than on P. spinicola-inhabited trees. The mechanism by which the Cecidomyiids occur in greater proportion on trees with P. simulans and C. crinosa is still unknown, but the pattern indicates an herbivory specialization or a potentially obligate weaker defender of the swollen-thorn acacias.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association patterns of swollen‐thorn acacias with three ant species and other organisms in a dry forest of Panama

et al. 2021

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“…It is important to point out, however, that we could not evaluate whether the parasitoid also consumed gall resources directly (as for example Rileya sp. larvae seem to do in Eugeniamyia dispar galls, Mendonça & Romanowski, 2002), which could also generate an increase in parasitoid size, and consequently on its ovipositor size.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypic matching in ovipositor size in the parasitoid Galeopsomyia sp. (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) attacking different gall inducers

Luz

Goetz

Mendonça

2020

Iheringia, Sér. Zool.

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ABSTRACT Parasitoid ovipositor size importantly affects host choice; those attacking exposed hosts usually have shorter ovipositors compared to those needing drilling deeper through substrates such as plant tissue and gall tissue. Most studies treat this theme at the interspecific level, and the aim of this work was to test for intraspecific variation and phenotypic matching in ovipositor size for Galeopsomyia sp. attacking galls. Galls were sampled from Guapira opposita(Nyctaginaceae), a host plant to five species of Bruggmannia gallers (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) in southern Brazil: Bruggmannia elongata, B. robusta, B. acaudata, and two undescribed species of Bruggmannia (sp. 1 and sp. 2). On forest transects, all galls from the 30 first galled plants found were sampled and kept in sealed plastic bags until parasitoid emergence. A total of 15 samples were done along two years. We measured galler last instar larvae length and gall thickness for each galling species, and ovipositor length for all Galeopsomyia sp. individuals emerging from the galls. There were no differences in larval length among galler species. However, Bruggmannia sp. 1 and sp. 2 galls were significantly thicker than those of B. acaudata, and the latter thicker than both B. elongata and B. robusta galls. Wasp ovipositor size differed significantly between those coming from Bruggmannia sp. 1 and sp. 2 galls relative to all others. Host extended phenotype size is thus fundamental to determine parasitoid size, but in this case host (larval) size does not change among species, although gall thickness was different. Thicker galls were attacked by larger parasitoids with longer ovipositors, denoting phenotypic matching. Thicker galls appear to be selecting larger parasitoid individuals, which in the long run can lead to important evolutionary change as well.

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“…We thus refer to estimated population numbers of gallers instead of galls. The exit hole of the third instar larva could be identified (differing from parasitoid holes, mendonça & Romanowski, 2002a), and open galls were thus also counted.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Eggs are oviposited on developing leaves and shoots of the host. The first instar larva induces the gall, develops within it and leaves it to pupate in the soil (mendonça & Romanowski, 2002b). The gall is a spongy whitish unilocular sphere with 3.5-4 mm in diameter, formed mainly by hypertrophy of the parenchymatous tissue (mendonça et al, 1998).…”

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confidence: 99%

Population ecology of the multivoltine Neotropical gall midge Eugeniamyia dispar (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae)

Mendonça

Romanowski

2012

Iheringia, Sér. Zool.

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ABSTRACT. Our understanding of the population ecology of insect gallers is largely built on examples from temperate zones, but tropical and subtropical gallers may present distinct patterns of abundance and distribution across time. Eugeniamyia dispar Maia, Mendonça & Romanowski, 1996 is a multivoltine Neotropical cecidomyiid that induces spongy leaf galls on Eugenia uniflora (Myrtaceae). Galls were censused in the urban area of Porto Alegre, southern Brazil on six plants at two sites, for two years, at roughly weekly intervals. Overall 9,694 eggs, galling attempts and galls were counted. New galls continuously appear on developing leaves, but galls with live inducers are absent from June to at least early August. Galls on a same shoot develop synchronically, thus the shoot is probably the unit for oviposition. Given the also synchronic appearance of galls on different plants on a site, it seems midges can disperse and attack close-by plants. Gall cohorts varied in abundance by two orders of magnitude; there were more galls during summer than for spring and autumn, in a wave-like pattern. Host plant leaf production was seasonal, with low production during winter and cyclic production during the rest of the year. Perhaps because of this very variable pattern, gall abundance did not follow leaf production: this galler is not synchronised with its host at least during most of the year. This multivoltine gall inducer with "labile" galls, short development time, partially overlapping generations and low host synchronisation differs from the commonly studied species of the temperate regions providing a subject for ecological comparisons. KEYWORDS.Brazil, Eugenia uniflora, gall-inducer, Myrtaceae, population dynamics. RESUMO.O conhecimento sobre a ecologia de populações de insetos galhadores é construída principalmente sobre exemplos de zonas temperadas, mas galhadores tropicais e subtropicais podem apresentar padrões distintos de abundância e distribuição ao longo do tempo. Eugeniamyia dispar Maia, Mendonça & Romanowski, 1996 é um Cecidomyiidae Neotropical multivoltino que induz galhas esponjosas sobre Eugenia uniflora (Myrtaceae). Galhas dessa espécie foram recenseadas na área urbana de Porto Alegre, sul do Brasil, em seis plantas de dois sítios, durante dois anos, em intervalos semanais a quinzenais. Ao todo, 9.694 ovos, tentativas abortadas de galhas e galhas foram contabilizados. Novas galhas continuamente aparecem em folhas em desenvolvimento, mas galhas com galhadores vivos no interior estão ausentes entre junho e o início de agosto. Galhas de um mesmo ramo desenvolvem-se sincronicamente, o ramo sendo provavelmente a unidade espacial de oviposição. Dada a sincronia no aparecimento de galhas entre plantas de um mesmo sítio, parece que os insetos podem dispersar e atacar plantas próximas. Coortes de galhas variaram em abundância em até duas ordens de magnitude; houve mais galhas durante o verão do que durante primavera e outono, num padrão anual de onda. A produção de folhas novas pela hospedeira foi sazonal, com ...

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Natural enemies of the gall-maker Eugeniamyia dispar (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae): predatory ants and parasitoids

Cited by 13 publications

References 19 publications

Association patterns of swollen‐thorn acacias with three ant species and other organisms in a dry forest of Panama

Association patterns of swollen‐thorn acacias with three ant species and other organisms in a dry forest of Panama

Phenotypic matching in ovipositor size in the parasitoid Galeopsomyia sp. (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) attacking different gall inducers

Population ecology of the multivoltine Neotropical gall midge Eugeniamyia dispar (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae)

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