Climate and host plant characteristics effects on lepidopteran caterpillar abundance on Miconia ferruginata DC. and Miconia pohliana Cogn (Melastomataceae)

Abstract

Folivore cerrado caterpillars are found on their host species in low frequencies, which vary between plants and throughout the year. We analysed the effects of climatic variation and of the characteristics of two host species (Miconia, Melastomataceae) on caterpillar abundance. The work was carried out in a cerrado sensu stricto area in Brasília, Federal District, Brazil, from May 1998 to September 1999. One hundred plants of each species were inspected monthly. All caterpillars found were collected and raised in the laboratory with Miconia leaves as food sources. Climatic data for the study area and plant characteristics such as local density, spatial distribution, foliar phenology, leaf pilosity and nutritional content were used to test the effects on caterpillar abundance. Less than 10% of the plants had larvae. Caterpillars were more frequent and abundant in M. pohliana, which was also present at higher densities than M. ferruginata. Low caterpillar frequency in host plants and an abundance peak during the dry season are consistent patterns for different cerrado Lepidoptera larvae. This abundance peak, however, is not coincident with higher leaf production in host species. We suggest that M. pohliana's higher local density and better leaf digestibility can account for the higher abundance of caterpillars in this species.Keywords: cerrado, foliar nutritional content, host plant, leaf phenology, leaf pilosity Efeitos do clima e das características das plantas hospedeiras na abundância de lagartas de Lepidoptera em Miconia ferruginata e Miconia pohliana ResumoNo cerrado, as lagartas de Lepidoptera, folívoras externas, são encontradas em baixas frequências e variam entre plantas e ao longo do ano. Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar os efeitos das variações climáticas e das característi-cas das plantas (Miconia, Melastomataceae) na abundância das lagartas. O estudo foi feito no cerrado sensu stricto, Brasília, DF, de maio de 1998 a setembro de 1999. Mensalmente, 100 plantas de cada espécie foram vistoriadas. Todas as lagartas foram coletadas e criadas. Foram correlacionados com os resultados obtidos da abundância de lagartas, os dados climáticos e as seguintes características das plantas: densidade local, distribuição espacial, fenologia, pilosidade e conteúdo nutricional foliar. Menos de 10% das plantas tinham lagartas. As lagartas foram mais frequentes e abundantes em M. pohliana que também foi a espécie de planta com maior densidade na área. A frequência baixa de lagartas em plantas do cerrado é um padrão bastante consistente, assim como o pico de abundância desses imaturos na estação seca. Entretanto, esse pico de abundância não coincide com a produção de folhas em nenhuma das espécies de plantas. A maior densidade local e digestibilidade das folhas de M. pohliana são os fatores que mais explicam a abundância de lagartas nessa espécie.Palavras-chave: cerrado, conteúdo nutricional foliar, fenologia foliar, pilosidade foliar, planta hospedeira. BIOLOGYScherrer, S., Diniz, IR. and Morais, HC.

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