Distribution, survivorship and mortality sources in immature stages of the neotropical leaf miner Pachyschelus coeruleipennis Kerremans (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

Abstract

Distribution, sources of mortality, and survivorship of immatures was investigated during the reproductive season of the neotropical buprestid leaf miner, Pachyschelus coeruleipennis, that burrows in leaves of Croton floribundus (Euphorbiaceae) in SE, Brazil. Immature distribution was investigated by a random sample of 120 shrubs of C. floribundus growing along forest edges. Marked leaves were followed to recorded sources of mortality and survivorship of immature stages. Females lay their eggs preferentially in the young leaves of the host plant, with mines and pupal cells having been found on the middle part of plants. Densities of eggs, active mines, and pupal cells were, respectively, 25 +/- 2, 6 +/- 1, and 1 +/- 0.3 per 100 leaves. Predators and parasitoids accounted for the majority of losses in the immature P. coeruleipennis population. Mortality was 3 times lower in the egg stage than in the last larval instar. Predation rate was greater than parasitism but the latter increased much more during the development of immatures. Survivorship and sources of mortality were different between early and late season sample of leaf-miner immatures. Parasitism rate was greater in the late-season whereas predation was greater in early-season samples. These results are compared with mortality patterns described for other buprestid leaf miners in temperate and tropical regions.

Egg laying site selection by a host plant specialist leaf miner moth at two intra-plant levels in the northern Chilean Atacama Desert

“…Furthermore, no pupa was detected in mines on the adaxial surface. (Kessler & Baldwin 2002;Queiroz 2002;Leite et al 2011). Such patterns have been associated to a number of variables, such as predation risk, nutrient availability (Kessler & Baldwin 2002) and seasonality (Anstey et al 2002).…”

First report of leafminer Lyriomyza spp. in Daucus carota in Brazil

“…Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Coleoptera are the taxonomic groups of leaf miners more common of the world (Foba et al, 2015;Jahnke et al, 2008;Queiroz, 2002;Marchiori et al, 2004). The dipterous agromyzid leaf miner, Lyriomiza spp., are a more important polyphagous pest of the vegetables species of plants (Foba et al, 2015) in the Americas.…”

Identification of sap-feeder instars in Angelabella tecomae Vargas & Parra (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) feeding on Tecoma fulva fulva (Bignoniaceae)

“…Head capsule width is frequently used for instar determination in insects (Daly 1985), and many aspects regarding population dynamics of insects may be accurately known if this information is available (Queiroz 2002;Alvan-Aguilar & Hamada 2003;Guillén & Heraty 2004). Obviously, the reconstruction of the life history of insects based on measurements of head width will be more accurate and easier if the number of instars is more constant at species level.…”

“…Leaf-miner insects are adequate subjects for many ecological studies because conspicuous traces of their activities are left on the plant throughout its life cycle (Queiroz 2002). Instar number determination and the adequate identification of each instar may be key aspects when some field biology studies are undertaken (Daly 1985).…”