1. The authors analysed the potential effects of interspecific competition on spatial distribution of two gall-inducing insects, Bystracoccus mataybae (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae) and Lopesia mataybae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), that co-occurring simultaneously in Matayba guianensis. Overall, the authors hypothesised that spatial gall distribution between and within leaflets is shaped by interspecific competition.2. The authors determine: i) the B. mataybae distribution between two different habitats; ii) the B. mataybae and L. mataybae distribution in the same habitat; and iii) the B. mataybae distribution when L. mataybae is present and absent in the habitat. For all experimental designs, the authors measured gall abundance along leaflet sizes, as well used a new Cartesian plane technique to map spatial gall distribution within the leaflet to obtain gall density.3. In Campo-cerrado, B. mataybae induced galls on small leaflets and in Cerrado on large leaflets, with similar spatial distribution within leaflets. Within the same habitat, B. mataybae induced galls on small leaflets, with higher gall density in the right basal of the blade, and L. mataybae on large leaflets, occupying the right apical area. In habitat with interspecific competition pressure (L. mataybae present), B. mataybae selected small leaflets with higher gall density on the right basal area, and in habitat without interspecific competition (L. mataybae absent), B. mataybae selected larger leaflets with broader distribution over within the blade.4. The study's findings confirm that both gall-inducing insect species diverge in their distribution, avoiding overlapping niches confirming that the spatial gall distribution of both gall-inducing species are driven by interspecific competition.
Studies on the diversity of cockroaches and bioluminescent beetles are scarce in several biomes, for example, for the Cerrado. The aim of this study was to inventory the genera of cockroaches (Blattodea: Blattaria) and the species of bioluminescent beetles (Coleoptera: Elateroidea: Elateridae: Agrypninae: Pyrophorini) in a deciduous forest in the Parque Estadual do Pau Furado located in the municipalities of Uberlândia and Araguari in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and additionally, to compare and to analyze and the richness and abundance of these insects between two stages of forest conservation (conserved area with in regeneration area). For this, the insects were sampled using six light traps model Luiz de Queiroz for seven months, between October 2018 and April 2019. Nine genera of cockroaches and seven species of Pyrophorini were found. Cockroaches were more abundant in October, while for fireflies peak occurred in November. The results showed that cockroaches were more common in regenerating environments to the detriment of conserved environments. While for fireflies, abundance did not differ statistically between areas. Cockroaches can be important in regenerating environments and fireflies can be present in various habitats with a specific degree of tolerance to anthropic action.
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