Gall-inducing arthropods in a Neotropical savanna area in the EPA of Rio Pandeiros (Bonito de Minas, MG, Brazil): effects of plant species richness and super-host abundance

Abstract

Several plant-related factors can influence the diversity of gall-inducing species communities. In the present study we performed an inventory of gall-inducing arthropods and we tested if the plant species richness and the abundance of super-host plants (Copaifera oblongifolia) influenced positively in the diversity of gall-inducing arthropod species. The study was realized in an area of Neotropical savanna (cerrado sensu stricto) in the Environmental Protection Area (EPA) of Rio Pandeiros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Host-plant species and gall-inducing arthropods were sampled in 18 10 × 10 m plots distributed in the vegetation. In total we found 40 arthropod gall morphotypes, distributed on 17 botanical families and 29 plant species. Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) induced the most arthropod galls (85%), and the plant family Fabaceae had the greatest richness of gall morphotypes (16). The plant species Copaifera oblongifolia and Andira humilis (Fabaceae) were the most important host species with five and three morphotypes, respectively. Galling species richness was not affected by none of explanatory variables (plant species richness and abundance of super-host plants). On the other hand, galling species per plant species was negatively affected by plant species richness and positively affected by abundance of super-host plants. This is the first study of arthropod-induced galls conducted in EPA of Rio Pandeiros, Brazil. Our results corroborate previous studies that highlight the importance of super-host plants for galling arthropod diversity on a local scale.

Diversity of insect galls in veredas of the Brazilian Cerrado in Minas Gerais, Brazil

“…We also found that the average number of gall morphotypes per plant species was 1.5, which also was high when compared to other Cerrado areas. In the geograph- ically closest study to ours, Araújo et al (2020) recorded that the average number of gall morphotypes per host plant species was 1.37. In other studies, in cerrado sensu stricto areas, average values of 1.2 and 1.3 were recorded (Araújo et al, 2011;Malves & Friero-Costa, 2012).…”

“…Although there are no previous studies in other Brazilian veredas for direct comparison, the richness observed here is relatively high when compared to other Cerrado vegetation types. For example, in a previous study performed in an area of cerrado sensu stricto in the EPA of Rio Pandeiros were recorded 40 gall morphotypes (Araújo et al, 2020). In other study, 62 gall morphotypes were recorded in different vegetation types of the Cerrado in the Serra dos Pireneus, Goiás (Araújo et al, 2011).…”

“…Recent studies have documented Copaifera as a highly diverse host plant genus for insect galls, likely due to the genus being very speciose (Grandez-Rios et al, 2020). The species Copaifera oblongifolia has also been previously identified as an important host for insect galls (Araújo et al, 2020). Fagundes et al (2019) recorded 15 gall morphotypes on this species at the transition between the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes.…”

Temporal resource partitioning and stochastic colonization explain the co‐occurrence of gall‐inducing insects in the super‐host plant Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. (Fabaceae)

“…2010; Araújo et al . 2013, 2014, 2020). Second, null models are used to infer the role of competition in determining the structure of gall‐inducing communities in super‐host plants (Santos & Fernandes 2010).…”