Abstract:Eustigmaeus bryonemus, sp. n., is described and figured . It was lound in Campinas, SP, feeding on mosses. The karyotype, determined on embryonic tissue 01 squashed eggs, is 2n = 8 (n = 4).
“…Several observations of microlepidoptera larvae and snails or slugs grazing on bryophytes have been published (Tuskes & Smith, 1984;Davidson et al, 1990;Powell, 1980;Glime, 2006Glime, , 2010, and others of crane fly larvae (Wyatt & Stoneburner, 1989;Smith et al, 2001), mites (Flechtmann, 1985;Zhang et al, 2002), and thrips (Johansen et al, 1983). Snails and slugs have been found eating immature capsules and protonemata of mosses (Davidson et al, 1990;Glime, 2006Glime, , 2010, but records of these animals grazing on gametophytes are rare (Ochi, 1960;Davidson et al, 1990;Merrifield, 2000), and in general, snails and slugs avoid mosses (Oyesiku & Ogunkolade, 2006;Frahm, 2004).…”
We recorded evidence for herbivory in the mosses Hypopterygium tamarisci and Lopidium concinnum in a tropical rainforest (Sã o Paulo State, Brazil). We described this herbivory quantitatively, measured the protein and phenol abundance, and identified potential herbivores in the laboratory. We sampled plants from 10 colonies of each species in the years 2007 and 2008. To quantify herbivory, we used an index of damage (ID), with six categories of injury from 0 (0%) to 5 (50-100%). Air-dried moss samples were weighed (100 mg) and used for protein and phenol detection by the Bradford and Folin-Ciocalteau methods, respectively. The plants were cultivated under controlled laboratory conditions and the identification of herbivores was performed from photographs. Injury was higher in H. tamarisci than in L. concinnum (68% and 38% in 2007 and 35% and 23% in 2008, respectively). H. tamarisci had higher mean ID (1.70 in 2007 and 1.09 in 2008); however, the ID values were low compared with ID values detected in angiosperms from tropical forests. Proteins were more abundant than phenol compounds for both species. H. tamarisci had the highest levels of protein and phenols. The phenol/protein ratios (ph/pt ratio) from H. tamarisci (0.42) and L. concinnum (0.40) were similar to those of other terrestrial plants. No correlation between ID and ph/pt ratio, proteins or phenols was detected. Lepidoptera larvae (Geometridae) and micro-snails (Charopidae) were found feeding mainly on the leaves of these mosses. Thus, H. tamarisci and L. concinnum are food sources for herbivores in the field, mainly as alternative food sources for some small and less mobile herbivores.
“…Several observations of microlepidoptera larvae and snails or slugs grazing on bryophytes have been published (Tuskes & Smith, 1984;Davidson et al, 1990;Powell, 1980;Glime, 2006Glime, , 2010, and others of crane fly larvae (Wyatt & Stoneburner, 1989;Smith et al, 2001), mites (Flechtmann, 1985;Zhang et al, 2002), and thrips (Johansen et al, 1983). Snails and slugs have been found eating immature capsules and protonemata of mosses (Davidson et al, 1990;Glime, 2006Glime, , 2010, but records of these animals grazing on gametophytes are rare (Ochi, 1960;Davidson et al, 1990;Merrifield, 2000), and in general, snails and slugs avoid mosses (Oyesiku & Ogunkolade, 2006;Frahm, 2004).…”
We recorded evidence for herbivory in the mosses Hypopterygium tamarisci and Lopidium concinnum in a tropical rainforest (Sã o Paulo State, Brazil). We described this herbivory quantitatively, measured the protein and phenol abundance, and identified potential herbivores in the laboratory. We sampled plants from 10 colonies of each species in the years 2007 and 2008. To quantify herbivory, we used an index of damage (ID), with six categories of injury from 0 (0%) to 5 (50-100%). Air-dried moss samples were weighed (100 mg) and used for protein and phenol detection by the Bradford and Folin-Ciocalteau methods, respectively. The plants were cultivated under controlled laboratory conditions and the identification of herbivores was performed from photographs. Injury was higher in H. tamarisci than in L. concinnum (68% and 38% in 2007 and 35% and 23% in 2008, respectively). H. tamarisci had higher mean ID (1.70 in 2007 and 1.09 in 2008); however, the ID values were low compared with ID values detected in angiosperms from tropical forests. Proteins were more abundant than phenol compounds for both species. H. tamarisci had the highest levels of protein and phenols. The phenol/protein ratios (ph/pt ratio) from H. tamarisci (0.42) and L. concinnum (0.40) were similar to those of other terrestrial plants. No correlation between ID and ph/pt ratio, proteins or phenols was detected. Lepidoptera larvae (Geometridae) and micro-snails (Charopidae) were found feeding mainly on the leaves of these mosses. Thus, H. tamarisci and L. concinnum are food sources for herbivores in the field, mainly as alternative food sources for some small and less mobile herbivores.
“…Most of them were described from plants and belonged to the genera Agistemus Summers, 1960, Zetzelia Oudemans, 1927and Eryngiopus Summers, 1964(Arruda Filho & Moraes 2003Hernandes & Feres 2005;Johann et al 2013a, b;Matioli et al 2002Matioli et al , 2007. The only species of Eustigmaeus was described from mosses (Flechtmann 1985).…”
The genus Ledermuelleriopsis Willmann, 1952 is recorded for the first time in South America. Ledermuelleriopsis verricula is redescribed based on material from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“…There are only a few reports of direct consumption of bryophytes in subtropical and tropical regions, e.g. thrips (Johansen et al, 1983), mites (Flechtmann, 1985), pheasants (Wang et al, 2011), lepidopteran larvae and micro-snails (Maciel-Silva & dos Santos, 2011).…”
Bryophytes usually have anti-feeding properties to defend against microbial and herbivore attack; however, the consumption of Haplocladium microphyllum (Hedw.) Broth. capsules by Agrotis sp. larvae is rather common in Shanghai in the spring. To test whether H. microphyllum is the only moss eaten, and why the gametophytes of H. microphyllum are not eaten, a series of quantitative experiments were carried out to understand the feeding habits of Agrotis larvae on the given moss materials at three growth stages of larval life. The results show that the larvae can feed on the capsules of six moss species to different degrees: Funaria hygrometrica Hedw., H. microphyllum, Physcomitrium sphaericum (C.F.Ludw. ex Schkuhr) Brid., Trematodon longicollis Michx., Ditrichum pallidum (Hedw.) Hampe, and Pogonatum inflexum (Lindb.) Sande Lac. The capsules of the first four species were grazed heavily by the larvae, compared with limited consumption of the latter two (D. pallidum and P. inflexum), which even induced a high mortality rate among the larvae. With the growth of the larval instar, the daily demand for moss capsules by the larvae increases gradually. The lipid content of the capsules may play an important role when the larva selects its feeding target.
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