Complex interactions envolving a gall midge Myrciamyia maricaensis Maia (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae), phytophagous modifiers and parasitoids

Abstract

Myrciamyia maricaensis Maia, 1995 (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) induces a gall in lateral and apical shoots in the plant Myrcia lundiana Kiaersk (Myrtaceae) which is used and modified by two eulophid wasps species. In both cases the gall former species suffer high rate of attack exceeding the importance of parasitoid species as mortality factors. In this study these interactions are described and their effects as mortality of gall former. The intensity of occurrence of the two eulophid species as modifiers and of microhymenopteran parasitoids, and the relative importance of these species as mortality agents of the M. maricaensis larvae is compared. This comparison reveals that two modifiers species found in the gall tissue modification causing the death of the M. maricaensis larva and it is a more important factor of mortality than the cecidomyiid larva parasitism. The fluctuation of the number of each type of gall along the year was monitored in the research field and confirmed in numerical and in synchronic terms of occurrence of the galls; the importance of the species of the gall modifier eulophids, particularly one of these species, as factors of mortality of the M. maricaensis larvae and justified our comparing the relationship between these species and M. maricaensis as similar to the parasitoid-host relationship. The gall shape modification by one of the eulophids allows the occurrence of other inquiline insect species, what means that this gall modification becomes it more heterogeneous and allows the increase of the species richness to the system

Relationship between plant development, tannin concentration and insects associated with Copaifera langsdorffii (Fabaceae)

“…In addition, the preference and performance of the gall-inducing insects may be affected according to the quality of the host plant (Price 1991) and their natural enemies (Ferraz and Monteiro 2003;Fagundes et al 2005). Since host plant quality is one parameter that greatly changes along its ontogeny, gall diversity may be affected according to the development stage of the plant (Fonseca et al 2006).…”

Insetos fitófagos associados ao murici da praia, Byrsonima sericea (Malpighiaceae), na Restinga de Jurubatiba (RJ)

“…Monteiro & Becker 2002;Madeira et al 2002;Maia 2001a). De uma maneira geral, estudos de flutuação populacional, biologia, ecologia e distribuição espacial de espécies de Coleoptera (especialmente da família Chrysomelidae), de Lepidoptera e de galhadores nas restingas do Rio de Janeiro, vêm demonstrando uma grande variedade de hábitos e uma considerável diversidade de padrões de ocorrência temporal (Macedo et al 1994;Monteiro & Macedo 2000;Ferraz & Monteiro 2003;Gonçalves & Macedo 2003;Flinte & Macedo 2003;Flinte & Macedo 2004;Grenha et al 2004;Monteiro et al 2004a, b).…”

Guilds in Insect Galls: Who is Who

“…This new tissue then may not be compatible with the initial gall inducer (Van Noort et al 2007). Moreover, inquilines can also change the shape and color of the gall (Brooks & Shorthouse 1997;Ferraz & Monteiro 2003). This characteristic does not apply to all inquilines but only to those that are gall modifiers.…”